


After The Plague

by Cass_Phoenix



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #GiveNoorooHappiness2k19, #GiveNoorooHappiness2k20, Adrien and Chloe are cousins, Angst, Apsik shows up eventually, Chloe's weird, Emilie Agerest and Audrey Bourgeois are sisters, F/M, I'm running out of tags, Interludes on 'special' days, Just a 'What If' fic, Not a Salt Fic, The people of Paris are jerks, We all love Chat Noir, a few mentions of blood, updates every other Friday
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 07:28:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 60,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20403946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cass_Phoenix/pseuds/Cass_Phoenix
Summary: People tend to ignore the mastermind behind the crime and tend to direct all attention to the face of the crime. Such was the way of Chat Blanc, the White Plague. He scourged Paris for hours, wiping out half the population, destroying all. When Ladybug finally defeated him, Paris turned their backs on him. In the end, only a few stood true. But Chat Noir had already vanished.(Currently on Hiatus. Will return in 2021)





	1. If I Killed Someone For You (Alec Benjamin)

**Author's Note:**

> For the last several months, I've been plotting this out. It's still in the process of being written, but I have a few pre written chapters that will be released every other Friday. Enjoy!

Marinette remembered first hearing that Chat Noir was akumatized.

Nadja was reporting that a strange, blond-haired person dressed in a white cat suit was going around destroying monuments, touching people with his destructive claws, and calling out threats to all who dared come near him.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out he had been akumatized.

It was – surprisingly – much harder to beat Chat Blanc then she had been expecting. It had taken her several hours to figure out how to break his ring, and had done so effectively, though had closed her eyes when she captured the akuma and tossed lucky charm into the air to fix everything.

She didn’t peak when Chat Noir dully slipped his ring back on and summoned his powers back, asking what had happened.

Once he was reverted to normal, and his secret identity secure, she immediately explained everything she could to him with her limited time.

That night, the news exploded.

Angry mods were throughout town, yelling threats at Chat Noir, screaming that he had killed almost everyone – if not everyone - they knew, that he had wrecked everything, and so how could they trust him anymore? How could they depend on him to defend them from akumas when he had been one himself? How could they forgive him for his crimes?

Saturday passed, and the mods were only expanding.

Sunday, and everyone who wasn’t joining in the protests stayed inside. Even Marinette’s parents were beginning to mumble.

“I don’t think she knows.”

“The entire city is raging…how could she not know?”

“Marinette appreciates Chat Noir so much…I don’t want her to know.”

“The city hates him, though. I’m starting to lose faith in him, myself.”

“Tom!! You’ve been akumatized too, don’t forgot.”

“But I didn’t kill people, I’m sure.”

“Ladybug’s lucky charm fixed everything, they’re all fine. It’s not technically killing.”

“It still happened. He still turned people to ash, he still wiped out half of the city’s population.”

“We shouldn’t tell Marinette. She’ll be so upset…”

“She’ll find out from all her friends, tomorrow, though…”

“Is it even safe for her to go to school, Tom?”

“I don’t know, Sabine. It’s only across the street.”

“But there’s so many dangerous mobs out there…what if something happens to her?”

“I can escort her, if you’d like.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Thank you, sweetie.”

“Of course, honey.”

As her parents fell silent, Marinette realized she felt like crying. Even her own parents, the most kind, considerate people in all of Paris, doubted Chat Noir. It was like she was the only person to still believe in him. The only person who still cared about him, akumatized or not.

She learned, after going to school the next day, that was not true. Instead of wearing her usual, flowery shirt, she wore a black shirt with a black cat embroidered into the middle, its green eyes bright and intelligent, a green collar with a yellow bell around its neck, and a fluff of blond fur atop its head. It was obvious what it symbolized. _Ne méprise pas le chat noir_ was written across the top of the shirt in jade-green lettering. ‘Don’t despise the black cat.’ That was the motto Marinette would use. The words she would say whenever someone questioned her interest in the feline.

Since it would obviously be a color clash with her shirt, Marinette also ditched her grey signature jacket in exchange for a green sweater. Her pink jeans became green leggings. After quite a bit of shopping, Marinette had also purchased a pair of black slip-on shoes. To complete her look of pro-Chat Noir, she replaced her pink purse-jacket with a green and black one, hosting the same symbol as her shirt with the black cat.

It was no secret that Chat Noir was still among the best super-heroes in her mind.

However, as normal, Alya ignored the obvious, and didn’t even notice the wardrobe-change Marinette was presenting. Instead, the blogger danced into a rant about how Chat Noir being akumatized was wrong, uncivil. He had killed people, and how could they forgive him? Alya had added bitterly that he had Cataclysmed her twin sisters together, the two girls frozen in a scream, and how Nora hadn’t even stood a chance against his feline-reflexes. Then, quick as a wink, Chat Blanc had killed her parents as they stepped into the door. Before she could properly understand what had just happened, Chat had vanished out the window, as if he had never been there.

As Alya finished with her story, Adrien and Nino had entered the classroom, obviously in a heated argument, since they were both making wild hand motions.

“Remember,” Marinette began, trying to ignore the two boys, “It wasn’t Chat Noir who killed them, it was Hawkmoth, using Chat Noir’s powers and body, creepy as it sounds. It was Hawkmoth who teared them all apart.”

“Marinette, you don’t understand!!” Alya exploded, tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. “Your family hadn’t been effected by him; he hadn’t even touched your block before Ladybug showed up. If he had, you’d understand!! He killed every family he got his hand on!! It was like Thanos, but worse, because you actually knew what was going on!! If he had gotten his claws on you, he would’ve killed all but one member of your family on purpose! Marinette, you don’t…you don’t know what we went through. Juleka? She was killed, along with her mom. Alix? Her and her brother. Max? Entire family but his mom. Nathanial? His mother and his father both murdered. Mylene witnessed her family’s deaths. Nino saw-”

Nino turned around, slinging one arm across the back of his chair. “Are you guys talking about…Chat Blanc?”

“Who isn’t?” Alya growled, crossing her arms in anger.

“It wasn’t his fault.” Adrien mumbled, slight doubt playing in the back of his eyes. “Hawkmoth overpowered him. Alya, you can’t blame him for giving in. You either, Nino. You both were akumatized. TWICE.”

Alya silently motioned ‘3 times’ to Nino, who nodded back. The gesture went unnoticed by Adrien.

“Who in your family died, Adrien?” Alya inquired, ready to challenge him unconditionally. “How could you possibly know ho-?”

“My mom.” Adrien flashed back, narrowing his eyes. “My mom died.”

Alya knew she had crossed a line, horror instantly crossing her face as she leaned back from him.

It was an unspoken rule not to mention his mother. It was never confirmed that she had died; ‘disappeared’ was the word the press used, but everyone knew what that implied. She was a wonderful woman; she wouldn’t have just abandoned her family.

Chat Noir may not have had any part in her death two years prior, but Adrien certainly knew their range of emotions. Maybe more so, since she hadn’t magically returned form death several hours later. He didn’t even know how she died. He hadn’t even known she had died; he had to figure it out for himself. And, when he asked his father, the man’s silence was enough.

All good reasons not to bring up the subject of his mother.

“Marinette, I see you’ve been standing up for Chat Noir.” Adrien stated blankly, breaking the awkward silence as he stared at her wardrobe choices.

“Of course!” Marinette nodded, determined to agree. “It wasn’t his fault; we’ve all given in to our angry thoughts before. We’ve all done things we shouldn’t have; and we’ve regretted it. Why are we treating him different from us?”

“Because we trusted him, dude.” Nino scoffed, running his hand down his face as if he was dealing with two idiotic toddlers who were asking the dumbest questions ever. “We trusted him to protect us; we knew we could rely on him through thick and thin. But then he literally turned our families to nothing but ash, he killed them mercilessly. _He threw Chris’ ash into my face and laughed_. He laughed as if this is all some sick joke. Then he was gone. I swear, if you put cats and the Joker together and mixed them in a blender, it’d be Chat Blanc.”

“He…he threw the ash into your face?” Adrien balked, surprise, and maybe fear coming to surface on his face.

“And laughed, dude. He literally laughed. He’s Joker all the way around.”

“Wait, no, Hawkmoth’s Joker.” Alya corrected, refraining from looking at Adrien. “Chat Blanc’s like Two Face. And Two Face began doing it all on his own after only a little bit of temptation.”

“But it’s not like he flipped a coin to figure out which families to kill.” Nino grunted. “It was ‘last family member standing gets to live’. So, yeah, he’s like if you stuffed Two Face, Joker, and cats into a blender.”

“What if making the people of Paris turn on Chat Noir was all part of Hawkmoth’s plan?” Marinette disagreed, narrowing her eyes. “Just like Two Face becoming evil was Joker’s plan. Hawkmoth just won, and you just let him.”

Adrien was looking more and more horrified as the conversation went on, staring into space. “It’s not right.” He said hesitantly, lifting his dull gaze to Marinette’s. “It’s not right at all what he did, but it’s also not right how Paris is treating him.”

“Exactly!!” Marinette agreed, relieved that Adrien was still on her side.

“No, not exactly!” Alya protested. “He destroyed everything!! He traumatized people for life! He deserves much worse than a few mobs!!”

“You know what?” Adrien glared, standing abruptly. “Forget this. I’m not going to argue about this. Chat, yes, was in the wrong, but we’re in the wrong, too, by overreacting!! Marinette, get over here.”

Marinette, surprised by his bossy, powerful tone, obeyed.

“Nino, get up there.” Adrien pointed to Marinette’s old seat, and Nino, also shocked, obeyed as well. Adrien slid over to his best friend’s former spot, and patted the seat beside him, motioning for Marinette to sit down.

“And enough of the argument for today.” He announced as the bell rang, school beginning with all the students bustling into their assigned rows.


	2. 1994 (Alec Benjamin)

Marinette remembered that school day vividly, she always would. It was the first time she had survived the entire day sitting next to Adrien, forcing herself not to excessively giggle almost whenever she looked at him.

There was more to distract her from schoolwork that day then just sitting next to him, however. Almost everyone in class mumbled about Chat Blanc, talking about how terrible he was.

It looked like Marinette and Adrien were the only ones to stand up for him.

Even Rena Rouge and Carapace were against him. Marinette thought, looking up at the two teenagers behind her. The sidekicks. Our friends. They just shoved him aside…like they don’t even know him. Like she hadn’t joked around with him, like Nino hadn’t protected him. Maybe Chloe…

Marinette glanced over to Chloe, who was shaking her finger at Sabrina.

She’s probably against him. She concluded, crossing her arms. Her father made a speech yesterday about how horrid Chat has become, and she was right behind him the entire time. Not even speaking up. Besides, she’s done being Queen Bee anyway. It’s too dangerous.

After school, which had seemed to last an eternity, Marinette left school as quickly as she could, but still managed to be one of the last people out of the building, due to her forgetful memory and the lack of backpack in hand.

As she passed Nino and Alya, the latter grumbled under her breath, shaking her head. “Great.”

“What is it?” Marinette paused in her tracks, tilting her head at Alya as she made her way over.

“Chat Noir’s out and about. Near the Louvre.” Alya growled, obviously furious by the male-hero’s appearance.

Marinette felt her heart squeeze, relief sweeping over her. She had been afraid, after all, that Chat Noir wouldn’t show up for a long time because of the negative response the city had given him.

“I don’t understand why he even wants to show his face. We’ve made it clear as day that we don’t welcome him as a hero anymore. Maybe we never should have in the first place.” Alya hissed, exchanging an annoyed look with Nino.

Marinette didn’t have time to argue, already running towards the nearest ally. As she rushed for the opening, she opened her purse part way.

The moment she was secure and away from prying eyes, Tikki shot out of her purse, blue eyes alight with a mix of relief and worry. “You’ve got to hurry, Marinette!! He may not stay there for long with all the mobs.” The Kwami warned, trembling gently.

“Right!! Tikki; spots on!!” Marinette didn’t waste time with dramatic poses, hardly giving Tikki three seconds to transform her before her yo-yo was wrapping around gargoyles and chimneys, drawing her close and closer to the Louvre with each passing second.

She heard the mob yelling before she saw them.

“Get out of here, you mangy cat!!”

“Yeah!! Go back into the hole you came from!!”

“You should just leave!!”

“Boo!! How can we trust you?”

“You betrayed us!!”

Ladybug missed Chat Noir on her first swing over, keeping her eyes peeled for a dark suit and blond hair. It was no wonder she took no notice of who the crowd was gathered around, the civilians shouting and throwing tomatoes at the figure they had managed to catch. Somehow.

Once Ladybug did a retake, she realized, with dread, that, with the help of rotten tomatoes and other fruits, Chat Noir’s hair had been bleached red, and his suit resembled that of Anti-Bug’s, red dots littering it.

Ladybug landed beside him, hardly noticed by any of the crowd except for the few civilians facing the place she landed in.

Chat Noir was crouching, cat ears dropped against his scalp, eyes downcast as he allowed the crowd to ridicule him, a few of the onlookers cursing him and spitting on the ground nearest him.

Ladybug felt no mercy for the citizens, her yo-yo coming undone from her string belt, the weapon seeming to heat up with her fury. While the metaphor was not true, a simple swipe of the weapon caused all people closest to Chat Noir fell back with a cry of alarm, gazing at the heroine as she stepped over Chat, glaring daggers down at the mob.

It was like looking at an angel, except, this angel took the form of a demon. Her eyes pierced their souls, her frown caused them to slink away, and her yo-yo brought fear to those who recognized its power.

Chat Noir only stared up at her with awe and confusion, as if he believed that she, too, had been against him.

“You.” She began, tone blazing with fury. “Are all. Absolute. Idiots!!”

She announced, the last word pronounced with a dramatic wave of her yo-yo, the weapon making a dangerous arc over the heads of the onlookers. Her voice raised, also, but everyone’s focus remained on her key to defeating the akuma.

“Maybe you al-” Ladybug paused, looking over her shoulder at the crowd of people outside of her regular line of sight. “All of you. Move up front, where I can see you. Chat, for heaven’s sake, get up off the ground.”

Chat obeyed, as did the hundred some people she had commanded. Once everyone had moved into their new spots, Ladybug restarted her angry rant. “Maybe you’d all prefer it if Chat Noir didn’t protect you. Maybe you’d all rather that Chat Noir stop going out of his way to help and serve you. Maybe you’d all be happier if he never existed.”

The crowd didn’t deny it.

“Well, guess what? I can’t do my job without him. Without him, in fact, I fail. And if I fail, this city falls. I’m not exaggerating. I’m being serious. Chat Noir is my partner. So, what if he had a bad day?”

“He killed my family!!”

“He killed me!”

“I watched my daughter die because of him!”

“He’s a monster, Ladybug!”

“You’re so hateful and ungrateful, all of you!!” Ladybug growled, backing off as she glared at the onlookers. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember why we’re protecting you.”

“Well, we don’t want his protection anymore!!”

“Chose another Chat Noir!”

“Down with Chat Noir!!”

Ladybug frowned, closing her eyes in annoyance.

Once the shouting had cleared up a bit, she began shouting at them again.

She spent a few more minutes chastising the mob, then turned her attention to the empty spot behind her, Chat Noir having long since retreated.

Ladybug inwardly groaned, using her yo-yo to propel herself several blocks away from the still-infuriated mob. Then, she called Chat Noir, praying he would pick up. He did, after the third ring, his delay telling her he really didn’t want to talk. However, she ignored this fact.

Before he could get a word in, Ladybug charged in. “You shouldn’t listen to what people think of you, Chat. Those dorks were wrong. Everyone who criticizes you for being akumatized is wrong. They’re idiots.”

Chat Noir spoke, his voice sounding chocked up, like he wanted to cry. “No, they’re…they’re right. They know what they’re talking about, Ladybug.” The lack of a pet name shocked Ladybug, making her worry even more for her partner. “I killed a hecka lot of people. I…I whipped out half of the city’s population, Ladybug. They deserve to hate me.”

“You’re not the only akuma to kill people!!” Ladybug protested, anger rising in her voice. “Think of Befana, Style Queen, Frighningale, Collector!! They all killed people, too.”

“It’s different. They weren’t heroes. They...Ladybug. It’s betrayal. Betrayal is one of the things that hurts the most. It breaks trust, family, friends. I just betrayed an entire city.” Chat Noir gulped, before finishing with, “I think it’s best for you to stay away from me.”

“No way.” Ladybug refused, anger rising. “Chat, tell me where you are, or I’ll go to you myself.”

Hesitation. “Okay. Notre Dame. It’s still barren of anybody as they’re still repairing it, so there aren’t very many prying eyes. Fifteen minutes?”

“Ten.” Ladybug argued, growling with fury.

“Fine. Ten.” Chat Noir sighed, sounding doubtful. “Ten minutes. Yeah. I’ll…I’ll see you then.” Chat Noir hung up on the last word, once more surprising Ladybug. Usually he let her hang up first, just in case she had a last-minute announcement or something else of the sort.

Ladybug sighed to herself, sitting down in the middle of the roof. Since she could make the journey in five minutes, she decided to detransform and talk to Tikki for a bit, and probably check her phones for messages..

“Spot off.” She hummed, reaching for where her purse would appear.

The moment the green purse jacket appeared, she pulled out her phone and a macaroon, feeding Tikki while she checked her texts.

Her phone hummed to life, flashing new messages up at her.

Juleka had sent her a text, asking if she wanted to head over to the goth girl’s boat/house the next day for a Kitty Section rehearsal, since they still needed a camera man. After a quick confirmation of her free schedule, Marinette agreed, before checking the other messages, both of them normal questions from her mother and Alya.

Marinette responded, then put away her phone, staring at Tikki thoughtfully.

“What is it, Marinette?” Tikki asked after a moment, raising her head to look at Marinette as well.

“I’m worried about Chat Noir.”

“I am, too.” Tikki mused, her antennas twitching. “Things like this – Chat Noirs being shunned for mistakes – happen all the time in the past. All of them added very badly.”

“Like…death badly?”

“No!! Well…” Tikki paused, sighing. “There’s been many Chat Noirs in the past, and it is hard for me to recall all of them. I think…Death has been the result three times. The first, Black Wrath, gave up his ring and died three days later when he couldn’t protect himself against the sorcery cast by Morgon Le Fay. The second was Queen Noir, who, upon realizing just how serious her mistake was, killed herself.”

“And-and the third?”

“He was beaten to death by a mob. While he was transformed, no less.” Tikki admitted, what shoulders she had sagging. “Plagg loved that kid. I think he was Plagg’s favorite until your Chat Noir.”

“Do you think these mobs will beat Chat Noir to death?” Ladybug asked, straightening in horror.

“Mobs in Paris aren’t that friendly…” Tikki finished up her macaroon, shaking her head. “I bet they would. Ladybug, you’re going to need to protect Chat Noir as best as you can until this all blows over. I don’t think Plagg could handle it if his chosen died while being Chat Noir again…”

“Right. I better head over right now to check up on him.” Marinette straightened, uttering the familiar code to don her superhero uniform.

A flash of red later, and Ladybug stood on the roof, rushing for Notre Dame.

Only a few months ago, the monument had encountered a serious fire, which toppled over the tower and had destroyed much of the structure. While the damage hadn’t been as terrible as previously believed, part of it was only a wooden frame, all new wood and filled with extra safety measures.

Chat Noir was crouched on the top of the wooden skeleton when she arrived, frantically scrubbing at the red tomato juice smeared across his suit and hair, trying to get it all off.

He was bandaged up all over; she could even see the creases of some underneath his suit, crisscrossing his chest. She briefly wondered how he managed to get them there by himself but shook it off. He had an icepack wrapped securely to his skull, his left forehead. On top of it all, he had two metal bars holding his right leg straight, obviously from a twisted leg or something else of the sort. She hoped it wasn’t broken.

Ladybug approached, pulling a peel from his back and laying it in the disposal pile Chat Noir had started.

Only a few tomatoes were still on Chat, and only a few lay in the pile. Obviously, before they met up, he had removed most of them elsewhere.

“Hey.” She greeted him, slipping down beside him.

“Hey.” Chat responded, growling in frustration as he smeared more tomato juice across his suit once more.

“Need some help?” Ladybug inquired, easily wiping away the red off of his arm after he dully nodded. “Okay. First things first; are you okay?”

Chat Noir blankly nodded. “Yes…? I…I don’t know. I guess.”

“Can’t blame you. If I were you, it’d be hard to be okay right now.” Ladybug admitted before shifting to a very serious topic. “Let’s talk about how idiotic people are.”

Chat didn’t even get a chance to nod; Ladybug was on a role.

“People can get pretty stupid and judgmental no matter what you do. Maybe they don’t necessarily believe you were in the wrong, but they’ll do whatever everyone else does. They’ll try to impress all their peers. But it doesn’t matter how people treat you, what they believe. The point is, if you find the people who respect you no matter what happens, you find the people who love you. The people who truly care for you. As long as there’s still people who believe in you, then nothing else matters.”

Chat straightened slightly. “A girl in class stood up for my superhero-persona today.”

“And a boy in mine did the same.” Ladybug agreed, beaming. “See? As long as people still care for you, mistakes or no, then everything is okay.”

Chat Noir sat in silence for a bit, then stood up, brushing her off. “Just because a few people still care doesn’t mean I should still be around.”

“What? But-” Ladybug objected, raising her head to stare at him.

“Let me finish.” Chat Noir’s eyes flickered to the side, his shoulders tensing. “This whole thing has been really difficult for me, and really hard to manage. I think…I think the best thing for me to do is go into hiding.”

Ladybug choked on air, spluttering for a bit before gathering herself together. “Chat!! Yo-you can’t be serious!!”

“I am.” Chat Noir said, deadly serious. “Not forever, but until this whole thing blows over. Until everyone can let me come outside as Chat and not feel the urge to chuck tomatoes at me. Hopefully, it’ll only take two or three weeks. Once the next big news comes out, people will forget this ever happened. I mean, I did kill a lot of people, and that’s not something you can just forget. But maybe they’ll be ready to forgive.” Chat Noir hesitated again, then quietly continued. “I killed people I knew and love without care or mercy. I can’t forget what I’ve done, but…maybe, I can forgive myself, as well the people of Pairs.”

“What am I going to do when you’re gone?” Ladybug asked, managing to peel off the last bit of tomato remains off of him. “I—you’re my partner, and I can’t do this without you. I wasn’t lying earlier. Every time I try, I end up barely surviving. Or I need to recruit help. How am I going to manage three weeks without you?”

“Simple. It’s just like you said; recruit help. Rena Rouge pairs up with you nicely, and so does Carapace. Heck, people believed I was being replaced the moment he showed up! You could even partner with Queen Bee.”

“I am not partnering up with them.” Ladybug hissed, eyes glazing over with fury. “They’ve been…been… well, they’re on the side of the city. All of them. Traitors.”

“Oh. Then…I don’t’ know what you’re going to do.” Chat Noir admitted, for the first time doubting his plan to leave his position as Chat Noir.

“Recruit someone new!! That’s what I’m going to do!!” Ladybug snapped her fingers, and Chat Noir internally groaned. If Ladybug kept on recruiting a new hero every month, he would soon lose track of them all. He was comforted, somewhat, as Ladybug continued. “Someone I trust almost as much as I trust you, someone who doesn’t hold your akumatization against you. Someone brave, loyal, who I know you’d love.”

“Really?” Chat Noir perked up, delighted to know his lady would be taken care of until he got back. “Who?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.” Ladybug chided playfully, smirking. Prior to her first idea of Adrien, she had settled on Luka for a temporary partner. If she chose Adrien, she most likely wouldn’t be able to focus on the mission at hand, after all. Besides, Luka agreed with her in most things and actually was a perfect backup while Chat Noir was gone.

While Chat Noir was gone…

Her face crippled. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’m going to miss you, too.” Chat Noir breathed, heart skipping a beat as Ladybug put her hand over his.

“I’ve…I’ve never told you how much you mean to me. You’re my best friend, and I don’t want you to be hurt in any way, be it mentally, emotionally, or physically.” Ladybug told him, keeping her eyes lowered. “You’re my partner, my sword and my shield. I don’t want you to be replaced or feel like you are being replaced. You’re too precious to me.”

“I know.” Chat Noir purred, joy sweeping over him. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me. But it means a lot. So…thank you, M’lady.”

Ladybug nodded. It took a moment, but she realized with surprise that he had returned to calling her by his nickname for her. It was a shock, but not an unwelcome one. In fact, the heroine was filled with relief. In a few weeks, he’d return. And they’d be a duo again. But until then…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Read & Review!!


	3. Neptune (Sleeping at Last)

“Marinette!” Rose greeted, tossing her arms around the bluenette’s shoulders. “You came!!”

“I did!!” Marinette responded, giggling as she hugged the shorter teen back. “I came to film you guys.”

“I told you she would.” Luka joked, putting a hand tenderly on Marinette’s shoulder. “Marinette always makes it…at some point.”

“Haw-haw!” Ivan chimed, nodding his head rapidly. “Ever since grade school!!”

“Okay, okay you guys.” Marinette laughed, shaking her head. “I get it; I’m tardy!! There’s been a lot going on.”

“Bunch of people around.” Juleka agreed, slowly nodding. “Very noisy.”

“Not as loud as we usually are, trust me.” Luka sighed, shaking his head. “It’s rare for people not to come up to the boat and complain about the sound.”

“And what does your mother tell them?” Marinette inquired, setting down her bag of sketch supplies.

“Something about life, and liberty, and the treasure of life! And how our music was a treasure, and that the people should learn to enjoy it, or they’re a bunch of scoundrels!” Rose beamed, nodding happily. “And she’s right!! Life and liberty and love prevail!!”

“That’s what Mom calls the Three-L-Fundamentals.” Juleka grunted, pushing her purple locks behind her shoulder.

“Com’n!!” Ivan complained, pouting. “Stop standing around and talking!! My hands are itching to play something.”

The other three musicians hummed in agreement, following the large boy into the lower deck, Marinette in their wake, clutching her phone tight.

The four got into position, donning the kitty-costumes, arming themselves with their instruments and microphones, and started off with a pose.

Marinette started recording, and Luka started off with a clear, melodic note. Ivan followed suit, and then Rose began singing, and Juleka played her accompanying guitar three seconds after her.

After fifteen minutes of playing song after song, Luka clapped his hands together, and Marinette stopped recording.

"Take five, everyone." Luka told them, gratefully snagging a water bottle from the nearby stand, gulping a quarter of it down in one go.

Ivan drank the whole bottle, only swallowing once the entire time.

Juleka and Rose were more delicate with their practices.

While the other three lulled into friendly talk, Marinette noticed Luka slipping to above deck with his guitar, and, naturally, followed him.

She watched as he settled into a chair and began playing a mournful, lonely tune. His eyes turned toward her, and he smiled gently, gesturing for her to come over with his head.

"Marinette, your outward appearance is serenity, but, I sense sadness within you." Luka told her, staring into her eyes gently. "Grief, perhaps. Anger is there too, and loneliness. Bitterness, as well, I see."

"How do you always know?" Marinette asked, cocking her head curiously. "It's unnatural."

Luka smiled, shaking his head gently. "We all have different gifts bestowed upon us at birth. Yours is giving and fashion, mine is music." He explained, continuing with the tune. "I understand music better than most, and I know what music represents a person best. You, I'm sure, understand what people need. What encouragement or comfort they require. You understand things about fashion that most people would hardly be able to put a hand on."

"Oh." Marinette cooed in awe, staring at his hands as they danced across the cords.

"Might I ask why you feel the way you do?" Luka asked, stringing a few more lines of the sorrow.

"I…" Marinette shrugged helplessly, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know. I've been thinking a lot, about the world. About wickedness, about Hawkmoth. How even good people are evil and can be used for evil. About poor judgement."

"About Chat Blanc." Luka guessed, pausing in the melody.

"Yeah. I was one of those lucky few who didn't effected in anyway by it, so I can't understand all the hate."

“Allow me to explain it this way…” Luka hesitated, before playing one last, soft note on the guitar, sighing drearily.

"Chat Noir's a good guy." Luka admitted, putting away his instrument. "But after all he's done…" Luka hesitated, frowning. "Marinette, my next words may cast me in a bad light, but I must be completely honest. I lean toward the mob's side."

Marinette flinched instinctively, ready to lash out in anger. She thought Luka had been like Adrien, still thoughtful toward Chat Noir, and understanding. Her eyes trailed towards her bag, which held the Snake Miraculous.

She had brought it along, intending it for him, seeing as how it would be easy to sneak it into his room.

Now, she was confused and hurt. After all, she thought he would be pro-Chat.

Turned out she was wrong. It was all for nothing.

As she readied herself to lash out, Luka timidly held out a hand.

" I have learned - from Juleka - that you are for Chat Noir. And that is understandable. It wasn't him in the wrong. As humans, we don't tend to look at what's behind it all, we look at the face that performed it, not wishing to try to figure out who was behind it. Akumas were one of the few exceptions to this rule, due to the fact that we know who's behind it already. Hawkmoth. However, when an akuma does something particularly bad, even the exceptions aren't enough. People only see the terrible crime. And that's what happened to Chat Noir. The thing is, nobody really liked Chat Noir in the first place." Luka deadpanned, his words like a slap to Marinette. "He distracts Ladybug. He breaks things, important, expensive things, with his cataclysm. And sometimes, when Ladybug doesn't use Miraculous Ladybug, the destroyed things remain. It doesn't do well for Chat Noir's name. Frankly, all of Paris regards him as an immature flirt. Nobody even knows if his words of affection for Ladybug are real or not. And when he - one of our main heroes - kills one million people within five hours, it doesn't put a lot of good light on him." Luka stopped for a moment, sipping at his water bottle. “And that’s really all I have to say.”

"How people treat him is totally unjust!" Marinette exploded, standing up and waving her hands around.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ivan, Rose, and Juleka peeking out from below deck, curious to what all the chaos was.

From the captain's quarters, Miss. Couffaine gazed out, a merry smile across her face as she enjoyed the show.

Marinette ignored them, continuing with her rant, voice rising louder and louder. "He protects them, goes out of his way to help them, takes care of them for - what? - months? A year? And then he has one bad day, gets taken over - like two hundred people already have been - then gets singled out and immediately had tomatoes thrown at him? Can't even show his face in public anymore? Is that it?"

"Marinette, you're one of those lucky people who didn't experience your family crumpling to dust." Luka's voice wasn't hard, or angry, but sorrowful, his blue eyes lowered. "I was not so lucky. I watched my family die before my eyes, and it hurt them. They were in agony when they died, their heart songs cried out as they wilted. Nobody has ever killed people and lasted that long. In those four hours before Ladybug defeated him, I feared that she never would. That my family would stay dead. And I'd be alone. When Chat Blanc killed them, there was a sick joy in his heart. It brought me terror, and I still have nightmares. Someone doesn't just traumatize you and then leave forever. Fear is getting to people, and that's why even people with no loses are panicking. They're afraid that he'll return and kill them and their loved ones next."

"I just…" Marinette's shoulders hunched, and she felt tears coming to her face. "I feel as if everyone is abandoning him. He doesn't deserve that."

"No, he doesn't." Luka agreed, shoulders sagging. "I see that but cannot change how I feel. However, you, Marinette, are a white flower among a field of roses. Hard to find, but worth it. You're rare, and precious to this world. I am honored to know you. Anyone would be.”

Marinette bit her lip, uncertain what to say. Luka couldn’t just criticize Chat Noir and then compliment her!!

“I see I cannot change your mind, and I never plan to. I’m thankful you’re still pure.” Luka murmured, slinging the guitar around his shoulders once more. “Let’s get back to practice, you three.” He turned his sharp, blue eyes to stare piercingly at the three teenage onlookers, who immediately obeyed and ducked back down below.

Marinette grudgingly followed, wondering what she would do now.

She still was against enlisting Adrien; she loved the boy, but she knew he would most likely distract her from her job.

Maybe Chat Noir’s concerns were right. She wouldn’t have a partner after all.


	4. Beat This Summer (Brad Paisely)

Chat Noir wasn’t sure why, but, once more, he found himself on Marinette’s balcony. Wasn’t it weird, he asked himself, that he always came here when he was feeling down?

He didn’t know why, perhaps it was because, deep down, there was a tiny part attracted to her, and a slightly bigger bit who sought comfort in being around her.

Usually, she didn’t even appear, blissfully unaware that he visited her at least four times a month. She had only been up and about twice, and one of those two times hadn’t even been when he was upset. It had been when he was looking for August’s pacifier; the poor baby had it ‘stolen’ by Ladybug.

Understandably, Chat Noir wasn’t expecting Marinette to shove open the trap door, two minutes after his time of arrival, holding a kitchen knife with a look that could kill.

“You’ve got five seconds to leave before I call the cops!!” She growled, eyes flashing as she searched the completely black balcony.

“Waitwaitwait!!” Chat Noir cried, leaping back in surprise as he spotted the gleam of silver from the blade. “Marinette, it’s me!!”

“—Chat?” She was visibly confused, her threatening, angry look fading the moment her eyes met his, obviously adjusting to the dark, relaxing slightly. “What are you doing here? It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, I just didn’t expect…excuse me. Stay there.”

She ducked into her room, reappearing a moment later without the knife and wrapped up in a coat. “It’s so good to see you, I’ll admit.”

Chat Noir didn’t really know what to say, and, was, quite frankly, frozen in shock. She wasn’t supposed to figure out he was here; she was supposed to stay in the house and be oblivious or something. Not be here.

“Seriously, what are you doing here?” Marinette asked, her eyes sparkling with joy, smiling at him.

“Um…” Chat Noir – literally – shook off his surprise. “I don’t know? I’m, uh, running around Paris. And uh…” He could tell her. Marinette could be trusted. “I’m temporarily leaving my role as a superhero, actually. Until everything dies down.”

Marinette nodded her head as if she already knew. “Nobody has seen you since yesterday, so I kinda figured you would be avoiding all of Paris at this point. Pretty much everyone wants revenge or something.”

Chat Noir nodded, cat ears pressing against his scalp. He knew he deserved being hated; he even hated himself.

The day before, Monday, he had gone so far as to give himself into the mob, believing that whatever they would do to him he deserved. He had been so sure that even Ladybug hated him.

But then she arrived, screaming threats at the crowd as she protected him, going as far as to come find him after he fled, the so-called-hero not understanding why she hadn’t just allowed the mob to punish him. He hadn’t understood why she was doing all those things until he finally realized; she didn’t hate him. She cared for him greatly. She was like Marinette; she was for him; and didn’t mind if he was akumatized.

Looking at Marinette, Chat Noir felt a relief like never before. This girl still appreciated him, she still wanted him to be okay. Still be Chat Noir. It was…nice.

Chat Noir had realized long ago how similar she was to Ladybug, from looks to personality. From her smile to the way her brow furrowed when she got mad.

He wouldn’t lie; the possibility that they were the same person had reached his mind before, but, because he knew how much her identity meant to her, he discarded it, reciting every flaw with the theory.

Perhaps it was the similarity that made Chat Noir decide to tell her, despite all his instincts telling him not to; it’d only end badly.

Preparing himself, he blurted out “I lied to Ladybug.”

The reaction was stalled, Marinette only blinking at his sudden rush of words. Then, slowly, she seemed to piece together just what he had said. A few minutes of only staring preceded a quiet, soft gasp. “A-about what?” She finally managed to splutter out, eyes wide in horror.

“Why’d I even say that?” Chat Noir mentally kicked himself, though his words were spoken aloud.

“Well, now I’m curious!!” Marinette complained, worry playing across her features. “You have to tell me, Chat!”

“I don’t want to!!” Chat Noir protested, snorting with mirth as Marinette stared up at him with ‘baby-doll-eyes.’ It wasn’t really working, since it was obvious she was actually upset and genuinely needed to know. Chat Noir gave in anyway, sobering up. “Marinette, I’m going to be completely honest. I might never become Chat Noir again.”

Marinette froze completely, her body going rigid as she stared at him. Whatever the ‘lie’ was that she expected him to blurt, it wasn’t that.

“I told Ladybug it’d only take a few weeks for me to return, but it may be longer. A few months, a few years, maybe never… I guess it’s not technically a lie since I didn’t realize how drawn out my absence would really be until after we parted ways, but…” Chat Noir shuddered, squeezing his eyes tightly together. “I really, really want her to be happy. And I…I don’t help in that. My ego tells me I do, and that she’s happy being my partner, my leader, but I don’t think she is. She could be happier, at least. I want her to be the happiest she can be, and I just hold her back!! Who knew it would take being akumatized to realize it?” Chat Noir snorted bitterly before continuing. “I guess I’ve always known it but didn’t want to accept it. I want her to be able to choose her own partner, because she knows what she wants and needs. I kinda want her to pick that boy she likes; I’m sure they’d be an amazing duo.”

He turned his attention to Marinette, ready to continue, when he realized with surprise that tears were flooding down her cheeks. She wasn’t sobbing or hiccupping, just standing there, staring at him. “H-how can you know that? You don’t even know who he is!” She pointed out, sorrow in her eyes while maintaining a blank face.

“No, but if she likes him, that’s okay.” Chat Noir gently made his way over to her, drying the tears that were covering her left cheek with his right hand’s index finger. “She’s an amazing judge of character.” Chat Noir wasn’t sure what he said, but Marinette’s face was beginning to crumple from its stoic expression. “A-are you okay, Marinette?”

“I’m fine.” Marinette sniffled, ducking her head to avoid his gaze, pulling away from his touch. “You’re just…so selfless. I… L-Ladybug is an idiot for taking you for granted! She…she needs to open her eyes and realize how much you matter to her!!”

How big of an idiot was he? Chat Noir mentally chastised himself, slightly annoyed.

How could he forget about Marinette's crush on him? He knew she had claimed that they weren't in love with each other – following Weredad - but Marinette wasn't the type to give up on a crush just because they rejected her. Sure, she might have said that, but how much did she actually mean?

Chat Noir shouldn't have come back here. Here Marinette was, ranting about how idiotic Ladybug was for ignoring him, for taking him for granted.

As Adrien, he had listened, and he had watched her. 'Studying' as Alya would call it. Adrien called it 'observing'.

Adrien had learned - from observing - that Marinette was the type of person to never doubt her thoughts. If someone doubted her, she'd probably scold them for doing so, or do something so absurd to prove them wrong she'd seem crazy.

So, Chat Noir was sure, if he told her not to be like that about Ladybug, she'd probably tell him that she had every right to think Ladybug was an idiot.

Marinette calling Ladybug an idiot was one of the reasons Marinette couldn't be Ladybug.

After a few minutes of Chat Noir trying to decide when would be the best time to interrupt Marinette's ranting to tell her he should get going, she finally stopped without him even intervening.

"Tell me one thing." She finally said, moping away her tears as she uttered one last hiccup.

"…what would that be?" Chat Noir didn't want to talk more. He had already revealed too much, most of the words not even supposed to leave his mouth.

"Why did you risk coming out into town when the mobs were trying to kill you?"

"They don't show up at night." Chat Noir explained, relieved for an easy answer. "I figured if I wasn't going to return as Chat Noir, I might as well do one last run around town. For…nostalgia, I guess. Take my mind off…things.”

Marinette cocked her head, eyes narrowing as she gazed up at him. “Off of what things?”

Chat Noir fiddled with his ring, looking away nervously. “Leaving. And stuff.”

“You wouldn’t come out on your last night to forget it’s your last night. There’s more to it.”

Chat Noir didn’t respond.

“Chat?”

“I’d better go now.” He frowned, rising to his feet. “Finish up my tour of the purr-fect city.”

“Chat Noir, don’t ignore me!!” Marinette snapped, reaching out to grab his tail a second too late.

Chat Noir was gone, like a cat into the night, pun completely intended.

As Marinette called something frantically after him, Chat Noir touched his ring, tears welling at the corner of his eyes.

Ladybug would be happier without him. He knew she would be.

Perhaps he was being a fool, trying to play matchmaker with her and whatever boy she liked, but that’d only nudge them into spending more time together. Maybe she’d stop being so serious and laugh, be carefree for once. He always liked her smile. And he knew she liked smiling, but thought it was her duty to remain serious.

Maybe being with whoever the boy she liked would help her be more cheerful, less stressed, and free.

He couldn’t help her, couldn’t make her happy.

He’d only make her more stressed if he stayed. Because, now, everyone was out to get him and anyone who stood up for him. If he was gone, Ladybug needn’t worry about appearances and being next to him.

If he were gone, nobody would question it. Everyone would respect Ladybug for – supposedly – sending him away.

Without his flirtatious and nosey attitude, she’d be more at peace, he was sure.

She’d be happier.

So, what if it made him unhappy? Other people mattered more than him. Other people should be happy. He had lived all his life making people happy at the sake of his own joy, so why start being selfish now?


	5. A Thousand Years (Christina Perry)

Adrien.

Partner.

Adrien would be her partner.

It's what Chat Noir wanted.

And, quite frankly, Chat Noir was smarter than her. Wiser beyond his years. It was almost funny how he would blurt out wisdom that actually was quite useful. But also, scary. She wondered what he had seen that made him so…smart wasn't the word…jaded. That was it. What made him so jaded. He tried to hide it with his puns, but there was a darker side, a need to protect, a want to save all he could, a fear that those he loved would slip away. Which is why his killing spree was so terrible. It wasn't him, wasn't what he was supposed to do. He had murdered the families of those he loved without a care.

Ladybug once wondered – when they first became heroes - what Chat Noir akumatized would be like.

What actually happened was a thousand times worse than what she had conjured up.

She never wanted to go against him again.

She was getting off topic with her thoughts. The point was, she trusted Chat Noir. If he wanted her new partner to be 'that boy she likes', so be it. She'd choose Adrien. Just as Chat Noir wanted.

Chat Noir knew best.

He always did, didn't he?

He might think she didn't need him as a partner anymore, but he was dead wrong. She needed him so much. Even if he decided to bail on her, she would listen to his last advice, because he was usually correct.

…It was kinda stupid that it took Marinette until morning to decide to heed his words.

Before entering school, Marinette realized how shocking it was that an akuma hadn't attacked since Friday. The day Chat Blanc had roamed the city.

It had to mean that Hawkmoth was plotting his next big move, seeing as how it was currently Wednesday morning and he had yet to attack. There was usually an akuma every other day.

Marinette feared what plan Hawkmoth had cooking on the stove, what he plotted to do next. If Chat's akumatization was actually part of a larger plan, she was already worried, mind coming up with all possibly alternatives of the 'next big plan'.

Which, she supposed, was why that day in particular, she tried to keep the peace. Her class was usually the one targeted, and so she had to do everything in her power to have everyone remain happy.

Of course, she already did, but this time she tried tenfold, even though nobody was really upset that day.

Once more, a full school day passed without any akumas even somewhat being attracted, and Marinette was satisfied when she made it through with not a mildly single upset classmate. The only disruption was when Adrien and Marinette had their daily debate with the rest of the class, arguing that Chat Noir had nothing to do with the attack.

And she had a miniature, inspirational talk with Adrien when he admitted he worried that the class was right.

Despite his doubts, she only became more and more positive as the day progressed that Chat Noir was right, Adrien was perfect for the job.

As Marinette made her way home from the bakery, nervously waving goodbye to the young teen model, she reached down and touched her purse, which housed, not only Tikki, but the Snake Miraculous as well.

Yes, she would probably get slightly distracted from the akuma with Adrien by her side, but this would be the perfect opportunity to work on herself and her mood toward her crush. As Ladybug, she could practice her confidence with him, and eventually reach the point when she didn't feel very nervous, if at all, around him.

Maybe Chat Noir was right. Perhaps this would help her be happier, help her be stronger. Maybe even healthier.

She would.

She would give the Snake Miraculous to Adrien that afternoon. She would go ahead with it, make Chat Noir proud of her. Make Chat Noir happy.

"Tikki, spots on!" The familiar words weighed heavily on her tongue, each elegant move that accompanied her transformation reminding her of the job she had to perform.

She had to make Adrien her new partner.

Adrien.

Partner.

Those two words appeared in her mind frequently, even before Chat Noir's suggestion. For the past one and a half years they had weighed in her mind, usually in the phrase "Adrien and I will be partners; United in marriage! We'll have three kids-" Yada, yada, yada.

And now Adrien would be her partner. Not in marriage, but in a crime-fighting duo.

Her teammate.

That title should belong to Chat Noir. But it didn't. Not anymore.

It would be a hard transaction to take.

As Ladybug - fully transformed now - leapt through the city, she recalled all the times she had spent with Chat Noir.

On that rooftop they had drawn up and played a game of hopscotch.

On that balcony they had started their game of hide-and-seek.

On that roof he had brought a whole collection of goodies and things that he wasn't allowed to eat at home. So together they plotted a teen-rebellion and had a feast that night.

In that park Ladybug had kissed him to save him from Dark Cupid's arrow. Her first kiss, and, she assumed from passing dialogue, his too, even if he didn't remember it.

That street was where they first met, back in 2017.

For Christmas, she and Chat had pushed off the snow those chimneys had been covered with, allowing the smoke to escape. It had been Chat Noir's idea.

Nearly everything had been due to Chat Noir's willingness to be a Good Samaritan.

Acts that the people of Paris had shoved aside.

Mentally, Ladybug cursed can herself. She was acting as if Chat was dead, and he most certainly wasn't. No, he was - supposedly - still alive and kicking, just…out of her life. Perhaps permanently.

All too soon, the Agreste Mansion loomed before her, at least five stories tall. The building seemed to growl at - not not just her - but at any who dare enter through the gate without permission.

She wondered if Chat had ever passed through these gates, had ever felt the haunting she did.

Ladybug shook such things from her mind, instinctively tensing as she swung onto the property, but relaxed when nothing happened.

She found her way to Adrien's wing of the house, climbing in the window that mysteriously was always left open - or at least unlocked - no matter the circumstance or weather. Even during lockdown it faithfully remained open.

Adrien's room was empty, quiet. It was impeccably clean but had the stench of a pigsty.

It was the same smell Adrien carried with him wherever he went. After consulting Nino, the smell was identified as Camembert, the cheese Adrien always carried but was never seen eating.

The flagrant stench was the same Chat also carried, though he used it for Kwami fuel, not actual food, like Adrien probably did.

In the large room, Adrien was nowhere to be seen, but, by consulting her stalker-memory, Ladybug decided he was most likely about to return from fencing. In about five minutes, to be precise.

Glancing around the room as she waited, Ladybug spied his desktop, a photo of him and his mother. They looked hauntingly similar, with the same color of eyes and identical smiles. Their hair was barely different, Mrs. Agreste's slightly darker than Adrien's, which was a perfect gold.

At least, it was.

Adrien's hair had darkened in the three years since the picture was taken. In the photo, he was twelve, and when his mother disappeared, he was thirteen. Only after he joined school had his hair changed several shades to match his mother's color, which wasn't even dark enough to be considered Golden brown.

However, creep that she was, Ladybug - well, her Marinette self - had studied every little detail of Mrs. Agreste for even the smallest Adrien-like traits. Of course, every picture had been downloaded from the Internet, and were not from Adrien's personal collection.

She wasn't that bit of a stalker.

But she was close.

Oh, so close.

The similarities between the two were cast, but still, Adrien's face shape and build are closer to Mr. Agreste's. His nose, too, was an exact replica of his father's.

Ladybug forced herself to stop staring at Adrien's impeccable features and studied the rest of the room.

Briefly she wondered where the piano was.

Presently, the door clicked, opening to reveal Adrien.

Oblivious to Ladybug, he anxiously straightened his hair, grumbling to himself.

"-on't even need Camembert anymore, but you still insist on-"

That's when their eyes met.

He paused, his foot that was raised mid-step thudding back to the floor as his arms wildly flew through the air, the model obviously unsure what was going on.

Finally, his arms settled over his chest like a mummy, smiling worriedly. "H-hi, M'la- um… Ladybug. Hi, Ladybug. Uh…" His hands lowered cautiously, settling properly at his sides. "…Hi. Yeah. Hi. Did, uh, did I do something wrong? Or did you…? You know what, never mind. Um…hi."

Ladybug, unsure of how to respond, tucked her hands behind her back and smiled weakly. "H-hi."

Awkward silenced filled the already quiet room, the two of them occasionally shifting their weight between their feet or stammering an awkward greeting.

When they made it to three greetings each, Ladybug - if she didn't know any better - was almost sure she could hear a tiny voice from Adrien's placement in the room say "You gotta kiss the girl!"

Adrien didn't respond to it, fermenting the thought that the voice was non-existent into Ladybug's mind.

There was a pause for a moment, then Adrien ducked his head. "N-not that I'm not happy to see you, but…uh…why are you here? D-don't get the wrong idea, or anything, but I-I was just-!"

Ladybug found it cute that he was just as nervous as she was.

She almost laughed at his stammering mess.

Almost.

Despite her amusement, she grew sober, squaring her shoulders and taking a feel breath. "Adrien, I'm afraid I have come on serious business."

"O-oh, yes, of course, I'm sorry, just…um…give me a sec?" He brushed past her, heading for his sink. Upon reaching it, he immediately turned on the faucet, splashing his face with the ice-cold liquid. Then he snagged one of his navy-blue towels and dried his face. The water washed away some of the makeup he used to make his face appear as though it had no divots, revealing a tiny scar on his chin.

Try as she might, Ladybug couldn't shake the feeling that she had witnessed him receiving it even though she had never seen him get hurt in that general area before.

She had seen Chat take a beating there, once, the poor kitty barely even able to move with a snapped spine, several fractured ribs, and his neck almost broken as well.

After casting the charm, it healed everything except for a miner cut Chat Noir had received, which turned into a scar that looked almost identical to the one Adrien had.

Adrien, not noticing her distraction after he washed away his in total shock, gazed at her steadily. "So, what's this serious business?"

"It's about Chat Noir."

Adrien paled, his left hand going to his right ring finger, touching the silver ring that - supposedly - his mother had given him several years before.

Ladybug pretended not to notice. Why he touched it whenever Chat Noir was mentioned, she didn't know, and wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

Continuing with her previous statement, she continued. "Chat Noir decided to leave his work as a superhero until this all blows over." Lies, her mind hummed, vicious, terrible lies. He is not coming back. "And this is why I need to choose a new partner."

Adrien frowned, a look of confusion crossing his face. It only deepened when she pulled the mahogany-Miraculous box from her belt.

"Adrien Agreste, here is the Snake Miraculous, which grants the power of morphing. You will use it to fight for the greater good."

Adrien's hand touched his chest in a silent ‘me?!’, staring at the box with a lack of emotion. Slowly, confusion spread over his face. “Wait. Morphing? What does that mean? That’s different then second cha-”

“Sass will explain everything, I promise.” Ladybug assured, nodding toward him. “There’s been a bit of a…mix up. But you don’t have to worry about time traveling nearly twenty-six thousand times anymore.”

A beat of hesitation. Then his free hand stretched foreword, fingers hovering over it. Then, gently, he took it from her, clumsily fumbling with the clasp until it came undone.

He didn't even flinch at the burst of teal light that appeared as the box was opened.

Sass, the Kwami of the Snake Miraculous, shimmered into view as the light vanished.

"Once Chat Noir returns, you must give the Miraculous back to me." Ladybug finished as Adrien pushed his new bracelet onto his wrist, gazing unblinkingly at Sass. "Can I trust you?"

"Yes." Adrien swallowed, still looking baffled.

"Good. Adrien, you remember Sass. He's a Kwami, an ancient spirit created by God to be a guardian of the universe. Or one aspect of it, at least." Ladybug explained as she carefully watched Adrien for any more reaction.

Poor kid was probably in shock.

Adrien just slowly nodded, reaching a timid finger to Sass, a lack of emotion showing upon his face.

"Hello again, young one." Sassy greeted him, tail coiling around Adrien's finger in the form of a weird kind of finger-tail handshake that was pretty cute looking.

Sass had the appearance of a bird, seemingly perched on Adrien's finger.

Ladybug, overjoyed at the two's seemingly instant connection – or perhaps they had plenty of time to bond over the three months, missed the ring black head that pecked over Adrien's should go stare at Sass.

Sass gazed back, also unnoticed by Ladybug.

"This isn't a joke-prank, is it?" Adrien finally asked, lifting his focus from Sass onto Ladybug.

"Those are the same thing, aren't they?"

"Yeah. But, well, is this a joke?"

"No, I swear it's not." Ladybug promised, gesturing at Sass. "I need you again, and this time I’m sure you’re the prefect person for the job.”

"I agree with Tikki'ss chossen." Sass nodded, smiling. "We are perfect for each other in this ssituation"

"D-dully noted." Adrien stuttered, withdrawing his finger from Sass.

"Sass," Ladybug called to the Kwami, tilting her head. "Get Adrien up to date. Adrien," the model eagerly turned his attention to her, "in half an hour meet me on top of the Eiffel Tower. Transformed, of course. We can get used to your powers there."

Adrien silently agreed with a nod, turning to Sass to most likely ask a question.

Ladybug left him to it, satisfied Sass was in good hands.


	6. Boy in the Bubble (Alec Benjamin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Chapter!

Two days before, on Monday morning, Adrien had exiting his car, greeting Nino with a cheerful wave.  
Nino waved back, obviously less excited then Adrien. In fact, he looked downright upset about something. “Hey, dude. Did Chat Noir do anything to your family?”  
That was blunt. And straight to the point. “Don’t you mean Chat Blanc? And, nooo…he didn’t. Why?”  
“Chat Noir…Chat Blanc… Chat anything!!! He’s the exact same, dude!!” Nino waved his arms in annoyance, growling. “He killed thousands of families!! A survey was done, and it was discovered he was responsible for over one million deaths. In just a few hours! Adrien, he murdered about half the city!! He’s a traitor!!”  
Lies.  
Nino was the true traitor here.  
Let it not be said that Chat Noir was an idiot, a fool. The opposite, in fact. He thought about things, considered things. At this point, he was pretty sure he knew who Ladybug was, though he forcefully told himself not to dwell on it. Ladybug would kill him if she ever learned he had guessed, and with Timebreaker, he saw both Marinette – the suspect - and Ladybug in the same place!! Note; Chat Noir even knew that observation was false, seeing as how the Ladybug he saw was from the future and Marinette was from the past. The two Ladybugs were also from different timelines, one from his and the other from the future. However, Ladybug didn’t want him to know her identity, so he would pretend as if he didn’t.  
He hated pretending he was a total fool, but he didn’t want Ladybug to hate him. He just wanted her to love him.  
As well as the obvious, Chat Noir had figured out that Rena Rouge was Alya. After all, he had spent the entire fight with the Sapotis listening to Rena Rouge talking, worrying, teasing, and just being herself. Later that night, after bringing Etta and Ella home, he greeted Alya and talked to her for a bit, mostly as an interview, but also so they could talk about what would be the best course of action for the twins, while the teenager waited for Marinette to return. Before the bluenette could arrive, Chat Noir had to retreat due to the ring, so he couldn’t say hi to his kind classmate.  
The talk with Alya was fun, and Chat was able to compare their two voices; realizing just who the other was.  
A month later, Carapace made his debut, and once more Chat Noir proved he was no fool. It didn’t take a fool to recognize his best friend, besides, Chat had realized the DJ was Bubbler months beforehand, though the akuma and Nino shared no facial features. In fact, the only similarity was their love for parties, music, and their voices. But, as Chat was a master at voices, he easily recognized his loyal companion.  
And Carapace shared all details of face with Nino. Chat Noir had seen Nino and his superhero personas fighting styles not even five minutes apart; he had easily figured it out.  
Obviously, he also did not miss how Lady Wi-Fi and Bubbler failed to show up for Scarlet Moth’s akuma army, but Rena Rouge and Carapace did appear, even flirting, their playful arguing the same style as Nino and Alya’s.  
So, knowing who Carapace was, and having fought side-by-side with him in harmony, it was an understatement to say Adrien was disappointed by Nino’s lack in faith.  
No, he felt downright betrayed. His best friend, his partner during that one moment at the Hero’s Day battle, his “Padawan”, if you will, instantly pushed away Chat Noir as an evil advisory.  
It was wrong, cruel, heinous.  
…if Carapace believed it to be so, perhaps Ladybug did as well. Maybe the entire city wished for his demise.  
As tradition goes, Nino was still grumbling about Chat Noir/Blanc when Adrien finally tuned in from his thought process.  
“—nd if the dude’s not akumatized, he’s controlled by an akuma or getting in Ladybug’s way with his stupid jokes and stupid attitude!! He’s horrific, dude, horrific. He’s a one-cat army and he’s coming in for the kill.”  
At this point in the conversation, Nino and Adrien had entered the classroom, where Alya and Marinette sat, the former obviously deeply upset, as tears were gathering at the edges of her eyes. By looking more closely, Adrien was sure he could see the smoke rising from Marinette’s ears as she listening to her troubled best friend. Whatever was making Alya sad was making Marinette furious. At least, that’s way it looked like.  
“It’s not his fault!!” Adrien complained, shaking his head angrily. “He simply got upset; like anyone would be, didn’t notice one little butterfly, and now he’s suddenly the city’s biggest enemy.”  
“Actually,” Nino argued, “since he didn’t break the law or do anything ‘arrest worthy’, the police aren’t allowed to arrest the stupid dude. But, who’s going to stop them from allowing others to do as they please to him? If someone beats up Chat Noir, they’re within their rights, because, number one, no matter where he is, he’s on someone’s property. And if you’re not invited to be on their property and they’ve harmed you – which he did – or stolen from you, you’re within your rights to do whatever you please to them. Secondly, even if it’s on the streets, or at a monument, the mayor gave his permission for anyone to take drastic measures to, quote-unquote ‘teach him a lesson’. The dude—uh, Mayor, is so sour because Chat Blanc killed Chloe and her mom. Third, number one only has one exception, and that’s if the victim is a minor. Then you can’t beat them. But Chat Noir has no proof he’s not a forty-year-old man, so we need proof to see he’s a minor. Since that’s impossible…we can take care of it.”  
Tough beans, Agreste. Tough beans. You could be beaten by the mobs, and literally nobody would stop you as long as the people of Paris are within their rights. Adrien shuddered at the thought, turning to Nino with a question on his lips. “So, you mean to stay I – uh, I mean Chat Noir could be beaten to death at any point?”  
Nino either didn’t hear him or ignored him, turning around to face the two girls – now in a heated argument – behind them. “Are you guys talking about…Chat Blanc?”  
Though he hid where his attention lay well, Adrien noticed Marinette’s interesting wardrobe change at that second. His heart filled with joy and relief, Adrien listened to the conversation at hand, relieved beyond measure.  
At least one person still believed.  
As the day progressed, Adrien began to realize something. Perhaps Marinette was not Ladybug, and all his secret assumptions were proven untrue. Perhaps Ladybug was against him, perhaps she hated Chat Noir along with the rest of the city.  
Perhaps…  
Nino had listed out the reasons with ease. Obviously he had thought long and hard about it, and if he, a simple high schooler thought of those examples and remembered those laws, surely an adult, who Adrien had been taught were better and more knowledgeable then mere children, had thought of it long ago along with the proper methods to deal with Chat Noir. Most adults – if not all – believed Chat was in the wrong, and all the mobs consisted of adults and older teenagers who snuck from home to join in with the hype.  
Hint; reason why Kim was missing. He was off participating in a mob or two, eagerly campaigning against Chat Noir. Miss. Bustier said it like it was something to be proud of, being against the ‘cat-villain’ as she called it.  
Adrien and Marinette had shared a look and rolled their eyes.  
But Adrien got to thinking, despite all his pro-Chat actions.  
What if they were right? Chat Noir was wrong. He was vermin in the town.  
Adults were usually right, even when they were wrong, weren’t they?  
Honestly, Chat Noir was good at avoiding people. He did it every night, climbing out of his house and enjoying the air. He could avoid everything if he wanted. His suit was dark, so he could hide in the shadows of buildings.  
But this time, hiding was out the window.  
He had decided by lunch; that he was going to give himself in. Maybe if he dealt with the consequences now, he wouldn’t have to in the future.  
Immediately after school, he allowed Gorilla to drive him home, but silently plotted in his backseat spot.  
Interesting tidbit about the Gorilla; the bodyguard knew who he was. Who Chat Noir was.  
Adrien wasn’t supposed to find out, but, when your bodyguard is constantly sneaking your loud-mouth, hungry, not-at-all-sneaky kwami cheese, you tend to realize what was going on. It was a silent agreement; Adrien would contact the secretly gentle man before he left as Chat Noir to let him know not to worry too much and to keep people from his room. And the Gorilla would obey, provided he could check on Adrien whenever he came home to make sure he wasn’t injured.  
This was the one time when Adrien wouldn’t tell the Gorilla he was going, because he didn’t need the man’s mother hen nature. Not this time.   
Adrien hated the plan, the idea, but, at the same time, enjoyed it. Maybe if he got all the pain out of the way today, there’d be no pain tomorrow.  
He hated pain. Emotional was the worst, mental was the middle ground, and physical was the least, but it was still pretty bad. Physical tended to only hurt for a little while, but it made that “little while” agony. But, if that “little while”’s agony was increased tenfold, it might never need to happen again in the foreseeable future.  
So, Adrien chose to aim for a rather abundant in quantity mob of adults who would either judge wrath, or, more preferably but less likely, mercy. But Chat Noir would let them do either, much as it made him wince.  
After only a few minutes of searching around monument, he found a large mob at the Louvre, mostly consisting of adults, if there were any teenagers at all.  
Chat Noir braced himself, then gracefully landed in their midst.  
Only a few noticed him, taking a few minutes to register what he was doing here.  
Finally, somebody classically shouted out Chat’s location, and the rest of the mob seemed to turn as one to face him, blazing with fury.  
Chat Noir got one good thought in before he was swept off his feet which was; this was a mistake. Abort, Huston! Abort, abort, abortabrotabortabort!!  
Honestly, if he was being completely fair, he had been expecting a few kicks, maybe a tomato or two, perhaps, if he was super lucky, a trial in the court of law.  
He was not anticipating the onslaught of blows, tomatoes, curses, and rocks hurled his way. At one point, Chat Noir tried to roll onto his knees so he could crouch in the futile position, but somebody shoved him onto his back once more, shouting out a loud curse at him.  
But he accepted it. Adults were always right, right? He had to obey them, because they knew best. They always did.  
…at least, that’s what he was raised to believe.  
Somehow, Chat Noir managed to roll onto his knees, lowering himself into a crouch, hands curling into angry fists.  
He blamed himself, he blamed himself so much.  
Nino wasn’t a traitor.  
Alya wasn’t a traitor.  
He was the traitor.  
He was a huge traitor.


	7. Uneven Odds (Sleeping at Last)

The Gorilla had a deep history with Adrien’s mother.

When he was but a child, back when his name was Gorgon, his mother moved to the same apartment as Emilie Graham de Vanily, her parents Annabeth and Percy Graham de Vanily, and two sisters Audrey and Amelie Graham de Vanily.

The two became friends almost instantly, learning Morse Code and Sign Language together so they didn’t have to communicate with actual words, seeing as he was mute from a young age.

Audrey, on the other hand, absolutely despised him. She was constantly complaining about his size, comparing him to that of a gorilla.

One humored, exchanged look between Emilie and Gorgon later, and he suddenly had a nickname. The Gorilla, he was now called. It was a name that would stick with him for the rest of his life, called it by children who didn’t even know where it originated from.

One day, when Emilie was nineteen, in came twenty-five-year-old Audrey, now the owner of a growing magazine called ‘Style Queen’, ranting about how she had just met the most ordinary designer ever, all of his designs only so-so. Since they were the only displays she had seen that were worth even a little something all month, she supposed she had to post them in Style Queen.

Emilie and the Gorilla, who were, at the time, pouring over their university homework, shared an interested look, knowing that if she was showing this much praise, she admired their works greatly. And that meant, somehow, this man would wind up eating dinner at their house that weekend.

As all her new favorite designers did.

Both were expecting a snooty, stuck-up, in-his-thirties man who was only in it for the money and fame.

What they got was an awkward, shy, early-twenties man who arrived in a grey Prius, his briefcase stuffed full of sketches and designs he hadn’t shown Audrey yet. His older brother, Michel, came with him; a bolder man who was the one to convince the designer to bring his works to Audrey.

The moment tall, fidgety Gabriel Agreste appeared at the Graham de Vanily doorstep, dressed in his Sunday best, the Gorilla knew Emilie was lost.

This was a far cry from what she was expecting, and she liked the difference.

Emilie wouldn’t stop staring at him, quietly nudging the Gorilla and whispering adoring comments about Gabriel to him.

Amelie, in the meantime, also wouldn’t stop gazing at Michel. And when she wasn’t looking, Michel was staring at her.

Secretly, the Gorilla was a huge shipper. He shipped anyone and anything and was proud of it. Every show he watched better have some form of romance in it, or he wasn’t going to watch it anymore.

And now, he learned, he also shipped real-life people.

His newest, biggest ships were Michelie and Emiel.

It took five, long years, but, at long last, both ships proved canon, only a month apart. Unfortunately, his true OTP, Emiel, was the second to happen, but, nonetheless, it was the happiest day of his life.

He got to be the ring-bearer for the two of them, and also managed to be the wedding organizer for Gabriel and Emilie, too.

Six years later, Adrien Andy Agreste came into the world.

The first time the Gorilla held the tiny infant in his arms, Gabriel was teasingly joking that he had wanted a girl, so the beast-of-a-man was welcome to keep him. Emilie was too tired to punch her husband in his arm, so Gabriel’s dark humor went unchecked.

However, in those few minutes before the doctors came in to put the sickly baby on life support, the Gorilla felt like it was just him and his “Little Ape” in the entire room.

He bet he loved this baby more than even Gabriel did, perhaps more than Emilie did. He adored the child so much; too much, maybe.

As the doctors ushered Adrien from the room, Emilie smiled weakly and made her offer. “Well, how would you like to be his nanny?”

Thus, the Gorilla became the Little Ape’s Nanny.

His first gig was a month later, when Emilie and Gabriel went to see Audrey’s baby girl, Chloe Amanda Bourgeois be born. (Audrey had married Andre a year previously because he came from a rich family. While he truly loved her, she simply was greedy. It was pathetic, really, seeing as how everyone else in her family married for love.)

During his mission to tend to the child, the Gorilla fell even more deeply into his pit of fatherly love. He really doubted, at this point, that Emilie loved her son more than he.

…she and Gabriel both did adore him the most, being his biological parents and all, but that was beside the point.

Six years after Adrien was born, the Gorilla’s job title was switched to ‘babysitter’. There was no need to do so, except Adrien believed ‘nanny’ to sound childish.

For the same reason, on Adrien’s tenth birthday, the Gorilla was dubbed ‘bodyguard’, a name that was, and forever would be, as Adrien said, and he quoted, “The most mature title of all.”

Years later, sometime during the youngest Agreste’s fourteenth year of life – thirteen years old, the fateful day arrived in which Emilie vanished. The Gorilla was confuddled along with Adrien, both confused.

Where could she have gone? She never would have just vanished on her family. She loved Gabriel, and Adrien even more so. And she couldn’t have been abducted; the house Gabriel had acquired with his vast sum of money sometime in the last twenty/twenty-five years had the best security system money could buy. And Emile couldn’t have been stolen off the streets, because she hadn’t left the house for three days.

It was all very mysterious, and since Adrien never learned to properly understand him, the Gorilla couldn’t tell his charge that it baffled him, too.

Eventually, Adrien asked Natalie, Gabriel’s secretary who he told everything, and Gabriel if his mother was dead.

Their silence was answer enough for both Adrien and the Gorilla, driving the teen to retreat to his room for nearly three days, the door only opening to slide food in and dirty dishes out.

Across the mansion, the same thing was happening with Gabriel, except he stayed in his office and personal rooms for months on end, and never recovered.

Adrien, however, did, exiting his room after the third day with a fake smile plastered to his face.

But Emilie stayed gone.

The Gorilla knew the only way for Adrien to smile – really smile – would be through a miracle.

Perhaps that’s why, about a year later, he listened to the queer, old man and snuck him into the mansion to put the mahogany and black box where Adrien was sure to find it.

And though it sounded even crazier, the Gorilla also bought a truckload of camembert for this ‘kwami’ the elder had mentioned.

So, when Adrien grudgingly asked for camembert an hour later, the Gorilla was prepared.

Adrien appeared surprised to find some of the cheese in his bodyguard’s possession but took it in stride. After all, his caretaker was a strange man. Who was he, a mere teenager, to question him?

When Chat Noir and Ladybug made their debut that day, the Gorilla couldn’t help the puff of pride and love rising up in his chest when he realized that the cat hero was – indeed – the boy he had seen grow up and had raised partly himself.

Most importantly, Chat was happy.

Late that night, before the Gorilla went home, he quietly snuck into Adrien’s room. The model was sleeping, laying on his back, one arm across his stomach, his breaths coming in steady rhythm.

On his chest, the only unusual, out-of-place thing sat. A tiny black bundle.

The Kwami.

Two green eyes blinked open, staring at the Gorilla, the creature wide awake.

The Gorilla stared back.

Then, ever so quietly, the Gorilla moved to the bedside table. Beside the globe, he placed a circular container on the counter, the dish filling the room with a pungent smell.

The green eyes shifted to gaze at it, then went back to him.

Then, slowly, cautiously, the bundle moved, a sharp yawn bending its body, the Kwami stretching as it did so.

Still the eyes never blinked.

The Gorilla quietly left the room, noting the way the Kwami pretended to settle down, pretending his focus was still on the-beast-of-a-man, when, really, it was on the cheese.

The Kwami would take care of his charge, would make him happy. The Gorilla was sure of it.

Even if the Kwami failed, the girl, Adrien’s – Chat Noir, the Gorilla reminded himself sharply – partner would. She’d make him smile again, really smile.

He just knew it.

And he was right. Both girl and Kwami made him happy, made him laugh, and sometimes even made him more attentive.

Finally came the day Adrien knew the Gorilla knew. Adrien made him agree – in reality only nod his head and grunt-promise – not to tell anyone.

Through texting with each other – after sharing phone numbers as the two realized they lacked contact with the other – the two made a pact.

Adrien would tell the Gorilla whenever he left as Chat Noir and would add his bodyguard as a contact to his cat-phone.

In return, the Gorilla would keep quiet, tend to any injuries Chat/Adrien received, keep on making sure that the house was never completely void of camembert, and stopped anyone from entering Adrien’s room when he was off crusading.

Adrien felt guilty, claiming that the new deal was unfair, and that the Gorilla didn’t need to protect him, but gave in to the Gorilla’s convincing stare.

Quite a while later, a day that the Gorilla would always remember, Adrien came home from school. It was Friday, and the teen model was in a sour mood, growling under his breath. He hissed something about ‘going out to clear his head’, then stormed into his room.

Fifteen minutes later, the Gorilla’s phone buzzed with a new notification; akuma alert. And, low and behold, it wore a bleach-white cat suit.

As an addition, he was the self-proclaimed Chat Blanc.

The Gorilla stood there, watching message after message appear on his phone, each shouting out new alerts about the akuma. He prayed to God Almighty that the ladybug-girl, who, he learned from careful observation was a girl from Adrien’s class, would show up soon.

A few hours later she did appear. And several hours after that, Chat Blanc was defeated.

Forty-five minutes passed, and then Chat Noir returned to the mansion, exhausted physically and mentally. Being akumatized had done him no favors.

He went to bed with no dinner, unaware of the hate that the people of Paris were giving him, chastising him with vigor.

The next morning, he inevitably found out.

It freaked him out for about one hour, in which he restlessly paced his room, trying to wrap his mind around everything.

Quarter after ten, he was completely fine, having thought everything out. “It’s just the loud minority.” He stated, waving his hand when the Gorilla blinked at him. “And ‘louder minority’ is totally a thing!!”

The Gorilla didn’t tell him that, though it was a thing, that this was not the case. It was the louder majority. Quieter – much, much, much quieter – minority was the thing in this.

It was him, and…nobody. He had overheard Natalie laughing with Gabriel about how pathetic Chat Blanc had been, and moved on, not wanting to listen to more taunts. He had heard enough hate about the young hero and didn’t need more.

He wasn’t really surprised when, on Monday afternoon, three days after the incident, he came into Adrien’s room empty, barren of any life.

So, he just stood there, in the doorway, waiting for Adrien – Chat Noir – to return.

And he did, ten minutes later, dripping tomato remains – or was that blood? – across the floor.

Chat Noir stumbled over to his bodyguard, instantly face-palming into the Gorilla’s chest.

“Ni ‘ezzet upp.” He mumbled through the fabric, his arms clutching his chest, trying to ease the pain that he probably felt there.

The Gorilla scooped him up right away, sitting him on the bed and immediately having him unzip the top of his suit, so that he could wrap bandages around the teen’s back.

He inwardly wondered if he was technically ripping open the Kwami by doing so but didn’t dwell on it too long. He would ask Plagg or Chat another time.

As he finished winding the bandages around Chat Noir’s body, the baton pined to the hero’s tail began to buzz.

The Gorilla wasted no time, pulling it off of its secure holder and handing it to his charge.

Chat Noir immediately gave it back after checking the caller ID. “I don’t really want to talk to Ladybug right now…”

Something was wrong. Chat Noir always wanted to talk to Ladybug. So, ‘I don’t want to talk to her’ meant ‘I don’t think she wants to talk to me’.

And the Gorilla knew if Ladybug was calling, she did want to talk. So, he grabbed the cat-phone and pushed it back into Chat’s hands and pushed the pick-up button.

Chat Noir stared at it in horror, like it was going to bite him.

The Gorilla pushed his hand, which was holding his phone, up to his ear, laughing inside at his terrified expression.

In those few milliseconds he had been pushing the phone to Chat Noir’s ear, he had heard Ladybug’s voice squeezing in a few syllables. “-orks were wro—”

Sounded like Ladybug was on the right side!! Their side!! At least, he assumed she was. Hoped she was.

Then Chat Noir began talking, close to the brink of tears, and the Gorilla felt his heart crumple. “No, they’re…they’re right. They know what they’re talking about, Ladybug.” Hey, wait, where was his common M’lady in this whole thing?! “I killed a hecka lot of people. I…I whiped out half of the city’s population, Ladybug. They deserve to hate me.”

A ten second pause in which the Gorilla began wrapping a pole to Chat’s leg to straighten it out, or, rather, keep it straight. The limb was bent in an odd way, making the beast-of-a-man want to gag.

“It’s different. They weren’t heroes. They...Ladybug. It’s betrayal. Betrayal is one of the things that hurts the most. It breaks trust, family, friends. I just betrayed an entire city.” Chat Noir continued, shaking his head. “I think it’s best for you to stay away from me.”

Another hesitation filled with background mumbling – which was actually yelling – from Ladybug’s end.

Finally Chat spoke again “Okay. Notre Dame. It’s still barren of anybody as they’re still repairing it, so there aren’t very many prying eyes. Fifteen minutes?” He asked, eyeing how much the Gorilla still had yet to bandage.

Three seconds later, and Chat Noir doubtfully pouted. “Fine. Ten.” Holding the phone away, so Ladybug couldn’t hear him, he whispered, to the Gorilla, “I have to leave to see Ladybug in ten minutes. Will you be done?”

The Gorilla nodded, then held up his index finger and thumb in a ‘squishing’ motion. Either he would be done, or very close.

“Ten minutes.” Chat Noir confirmed, bringing the phone back to his ear. “Yeah. I’ll…I’ll see you then.” Chat Noir clicked his phone shut, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.

The Gorilla handed him an icepack, peeling off the tomato peels as he went, quickly working to heal the young hero. After ten minutes, only a few stubborn tomatoes remained.

The Gorilla sent Adrien on his way but worry remained for the young teen. He hoped everything would be alright.


	8. Take Me Home (Us the Duo)

“She knows who I am.” Was the first thing to cross Adrien’s mind and to come out of his mouth when Ladybug was no longer standing before him, after she had given him Sass, when she was finally vaulting over rooftops away from him.

“Woah, kid, sit down.” Plagg ordered – oh, goodness, was Plagg being replaced now?! – when he noticed how Adrien was shaking like a leaf on a windy day.

“Relaxx, yourself, young one.” Sass soothed. “Shhe is oblivious to your connection to her previouss partner. Shhe hass no clue who you are.”

“H-how is this possible?” Adrien asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He was not quite sure if Sass was right, because what were the odds Ladybug would choose Chat Noir to replace Chat Noir?! “There’s two million people in this city!! I should know, I met half of them!!”

“You were also akumatized and killing them at the same time,” Plagg deadpanned, grunting dismissively.

“My point still stands!! Out of two million people, why me? How did she pick me out of everyone? Again, no less? After I failed her last time?”

“You are not well verssed in the wayss of the Miraculouss are you?” Sass squinted, suspiciously eyeing Plagg though he spoke to Adrien.

Plagg, however, spoke anyway. “I’ve never had the time to teach him!!” He argued, against the wise serpent based Kwami, crossed his tiny stubs for limbs.

“Who elsse did you use that exxcusse for?” Sass flashed back, not at all amused by Adrien’s apparent lack in training,

“No one--”

“Thomass. Your “Little Cheessecake”, if I recall correctly. You never taught him, either.”

“I only had him, for, like, a month, Sass!! Cut me some slack!!”

“He perishhed, Plagg.”

“…I see your point,” Plagg grunted, defeated. “I loved that Little Cheesecake.”

“Yet you could not ssave him from the fangss of death.”

“Excuse me,” Adrien interrupted, hunching his shoulders as the two Kwamis stared at him with identical looks that could shoot daggers, thus killing the victim. “Sorry. But…um…what is going on, here?”

“Plagg, here, resstrainss from giving hiss favorite chossenss proper education.” Sass revealed, not looking very pleased about this information. “Sso, young one, lookss like it’ss up to me.”

“Sounds great, but…three questions.”

“Yess?”

“Number one, who’s this Timothy you mentioned?”

“Thomass.” Sass corrected, shooting the black Kwami, who as pouting, a pointed glance. “Among Plagg’ss favorite Chat Noirss.”

“Knight Noir.” Plagg smiled fondly into nothing. “We ate camembert together every day, and always slept in the weirdest places we could find. But only during the day. At night, we would play with Scarlet Lady and then race to the tallest place to watch the sunset, then race to the lowest spot to watch it for a second time.” Plagg’s grin faltered, sorrow overtaking his features. “My Little Cheesecake.”

“That’s the most emotion I’ve ever seen Plagg emit.” Adrien blinked, surprised by the kwami’s show of nostalgia.

“Yess, emotionss are rare for him.” Sass agreed, shaking his head at Plagg.

“Well, okay, then. Second question; I’m one of his favorites?”

Sass gazed blankly at him for a minute or two, then sighed. “Nexxt quesstion.”

“Huh? But you didn’t answer my last one.”

Sass just shook his head. “Young one, you are very obliviouss. Of coursse, you are among his favoritess. Nexxt quesstion.”

“Riiiight. How again, did Ladybug choose me out of the literal millions of people in the city?”

“Lessson one in your sstudiess.” Sass began, floating over to Adrien’s foozball table to sit on top of one of the players. “The Black Cat and Ladybug are drawn to one another. One cannot be ussed without the other. Yin-yang, if you will.” Sass continued, pausing to consider what to say next. “The keeperss of thesse two Miraculoussess are what humanss call ‘ssoulmatess’. Though that doess not mean you two will be ‘happily ever after’ in the end. More likely than not, the two of you will become besst friendss rather than a married couple.”

Adrien deflated at that. He loved Ladybug; he wanted a happy ending with her. But, despite being soulmates, it seemed it still would probably never happen.

“Point being, without the other, they sseemed to collapsse. They need the other to, at the very leasst, remain active. Sso, in that ssensse, they ssubconccioussly will mosst likely choosse the other in an unrealizzed attempt to sstay free of harm. Chanccess are, you, too, would ssettle for her alter ego if roless were sswitched.”

Adrien though of Marinette, inwardly chuckling. “Sorry, Sass, already chose someone.”

But what if his theory were correct, and Marinette was Ladybug?

_Don’t think of that, Agreste!!_ Stay focused!! He scolded himself, stubbornly turning his attention back to the amused-looking Sass.

“What?”

Sass didn’t respond, nodding to Plagg, giving the stage to the older being.

“Clear everything up with the Gorilla, then let’s get outta here and meet up with your girlfriend.” Plagg ordered, clearly also not wanting to be the center of attention. He looked ready to burst with laughter.

“She’s not my girlfriend!!” Adrien protested, by his words fell on deaf ears.

“Well, young one, we shhould be getting going.” Sass said, gesturing to the bracelet.

“Right.” Adrien agreed, walking for his door. “We do, but not quite yet. I’m going to go talk to the Gorilla and tell him what’s going on.”

“’Gorillla’…?” Sass asked, looking from Plagg to Adrien.

“The Gorilla.” Adrien confirmed. “He’s my bodyguard, and he knows my identity. I think he knew that I’d be Chat even before I did, and so he deserves to know I’m the Snake holder now.”

Sass just stared blankly, not quite comprehending what he had just said.

Adrien pushed open the door, tapping the Gorilla on the shoulder.

The Gorilla turned his head, arching an eyebrow in confusion. His eagle-eyed gaze when straight to the bracelet on Adrien’s wrist, staring intently at it.

“Yeah…can we… talk? In here?” Adrien asked, gaze darting towards the doors of the meeting room, where Natalie and his father currently were having a, well, meeting.

The Gorilla checked his watch, looked suspiciously at the meeting room doors for a good five seconds, then nodded.

Upon entering the room, Sass seemed to break from his trance, staring at them. “That…” he said, cocking his head, “…iss not a Gorilla.”

The Gorilla stared in shock, eyes flickering from Sass to Plagg and back again.

“This is Sass.” Adrien explained, waving his hands towards the Kwami. “He’s…uh, well, you know what he is. Ladybug chose me as the replacement for…me. And gave me the Snake Miraculous.”

The Gorilla nodded, slowly, still looking a bit confused.

“How she chose me was because of some soulmate stuff; she doesn’t know I’m Chat Noir. Apparently.”

The Gorilla smiled slightly, seeming to understand it better than Adrien. It made sense; guy was a romantic. Honestly, Adrien wouldn’t be surprised if the man knew every single love-song.

He grunted, patting Adrien gently on his head. Arching an eyebrow, he silently asked if there was anything else Adrien needed to tell him that required immediate explanation. If not, he would have to hurry back to the door to avoid the fury of his seniors if they happened to see the Gorilla missing from his post and Adrien’s door open.

“Yeah, I think that’s it.” Over the months, Adrien had learned how to communicate properly with the Gorilla, similar to what his mother had done. It was incredible, really, how much he was like her, from personality to looks.

The Gorilla smiled down at him, nodding at him before moving back to the door.

He would protect Adrien’s secret while he was gone, fending off anyone who wished to enter the vacant room.

Right before he closed the door, Adrien perked up. “Oh; I’ll be leaving in two minutes!!”

The Gorilla nodded stiffly, shutting the door securely behind him.

After he left, Adrien turned back around to face his Kwamis. (He prayed to God that Sass didn’t like camembert, and liked something else, like…macaroons!!)

“Well, Sass,” he began glancing at the newest – living – addition to his room. “I guess there’s only a couple of things left to explain.”

“That iss where you are misstaken, young one. There iss sstill much to learn.”

“I think you know what I meant. I only have two questions right now. The rest of the explanation can be saved for another day.”

“I thought you only had three, kid.” Plagg joked, laughing merrily. He was a far cry from how he was five minutes ago, mourning a young youth, a fallen chosen. “You just switched it to five questions.” Yes, he was a far, far cry away.

“Give me your quesstionss oncce again.” Sass commanded, trying to arch an eyebrow. But, since he didn’t have any eyebrows, it just came out looking like one eye was squinted while the other was stretched wide open.

“What was your power, again?”

“Morphing.”

“It used to be Second Chance. Why’d it change?”

Sass shrugged helplessly. “We’re not exxactly ssure. Shhortly following the Party Crashher inccident, my power sswitched ssuddenly. Hisstory wass completely changed so that I wass morphing instead of Ssecond Chancce, but everyone rememberss what my power ussed to be. The mosst likely posssiblity to thiss wass that my Miraculouss was cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Indeed. Certain magess or Miraculouss Holderss can cursse objectss and that cursse actually takess effect.”

Adrien wondered briefly if the Black Cat was one of those certain Miraculouses that could cruse things. Because he actually had cursed the Snake Miraculous a month or so beforehand when he remembered how long he spent reliving the same three-to-five minutes. He had cursed it, wishing it would never affect anyone the same way ever again. If he did have the ability to curse…it appeared that it had came true. Quite by accident.

“Another way is that it’s damaged in some shape or form. Or, simply, God found that it was needed for something else.” Sass shrugged. “No matter what it is, I now have the power of morphing.”

“…which is…?”

“Plagg, what do humanss call it-?”

“Shapeshifting.”

“Shhapeshhifting. Yes, morphing is shhapeshhifting. You can change yoursself into anything you sso dessire.”

That was much cooler than he would have guessed. And much cooler then cataclysm. He prayed Kwamis couldn’t read minds; or Plagg would kill him.

“And the transformation words?”

“They have changed as well, to ‘Let’ss Rattle’.” Sass recited, looking quite confused when Adrien choked on air, doing his best not to burst out laughing. “I do not undersstand the mirth of thiss.”

“Nowadays,” Adrien explained, taking deep breaths and forcing himself not to laugh. “’Rattle’ can mean to be persistent with things and get on people’s nerves. And your name is Sass!!”

“I sstill do not undersstand.”

Plagg was laughing, now, too. “Sass, let’s be sassy!!”

Sass stared blankly into space, still not understanding.

“You know what? Never mind.” Adrien sighed, shaking his head as he pouted. “Obviously, you are immune to humor.”

“Wass that what that wass? Humor? You are influenccing your chossen more than I thought.” Sass grumbled, rolling his eyes. “He inherited your horrid ssensse of humor.”

“Ouch.” Plagg grunted, glaring daggers. “My sense of humor is wonderful!!”

“Alright, guys, we should just be going.” Adrien sighed, crossing his arms. “Obviously you two can’t get along.”

“At least I’m not the one transforming…” Plagg hummed, content.

“Yeah, but you’re still coming with us.” Adrien smirked, swiping his Kwami from midair, trapping the poor creature.

“Wha--?!” Plagg spluttered, struggling against his finger-cage. “Let me go, you vile boy!! How will you even bring me along?”

“I have an idea.” Sass hummed, tilting his head. “Ever heard of Kwami-proof pocketss?”

Five minutes later, Plagg was stuffed into a pocket on Adrien’s new suit.


	9. The Wall Between Us (Lou and Lenni-Kim)

It was quarter-past five, almost thirty minutes to the second since the time which his new Miraculous was bequeathed to him, that Adrien appeared on the Eiffel Tower, fully clad in teal leather.

His landing, or, at least the noise his landing emitted, was so similar to that of Chat Noir’s, that Ladybug, her back turned to him, nearly believed the newcomer to be her old partner; her best friend.

Nearly, however, was not completely.

Ladybug knew it was Adrien, or was pretty sure it was he, due to his non-tarty arrival – Chat was usually a minute or two late – and lack of a jingling bell singling his every movement. The ringing noise was ever-present, though very, very quiet unless he wanted it to be louder, but Ladybug had gotten used to hearing it at all times.

All of these were very good tell-tale signs that her partner was not the one meeting her now.

Ladybug pivoted to face Adrien, the smile upon her face crumpling to a gape as she saw his costume. It was incredible, actually.

Adrien had donned a leather, skin-tight, turquoise costume, complete with a pattern of scales across his arms and legs, some even crossing his body. Body armor, hardly visible but there, nonetheless, was strapped across his chest. His mask didn’t stop at his forehead and cheekbones but spread across his whole head, pressing his hair so close to his scalp he appeared bald, or, at the very least, wearing a swim cap.

Nobody could ever recognize him as the blond, teenage model Adrien Agreste, so much of his features were covered.

Ladybug stared at him; eyes full of bewilderment. She approached him slowly, looking him up and down. Softly she began to grin. “Wow.”

“So, you like it?” Adrien asked, reaching to touch the scales on the side of his head.

Ladybug’s eyes went to his shoulder pads, the thread-belt that Ladybug and Queen Bee before him had both used, the harp hung from said belt, strapped to the backside of his costume, his dark boots, and the yellow scale below his neckline that oddly reminded Ladybug of Chat’s bell. But, no, that couldn’t be. Gold diamonds sat across the top of his head, the back of his hands, and his knees; so, it must be a kind of design he wanted on his costume.

“Yes.” She finally hummed her approval, her eyes trailing up to meet his. “It suits you.”

The inner Chat Noir in him tried to push to the surface, willing him to say, ‘Don’t you mean it suits you?’ and to do a drumroll afterwards.

He swallowed inner-Chat back, pretending a wave of wistfulness hadn’t just crashed into him as he beamed at her. “I’m glad you like it!! I wasn’t sure about the mask, but…”

“No, no, it looks good!! Someone probably would have recognized you if you kept the hair; there are some weirdly obsessed fans out there who would have guessed instantly. But i-it looks good on you!! Amazing, really. Chat would totally be upset about you having pockets like you, though.” Ladybug gestured wildly to said design, prompting Adrien to begin to fiddle with them.

It was incredible, really, how Ladybug’s nervous stammering and blushing vanished in only thirty-minutes of getting used to the idea of having Adrien as her partner.

Adrien, however, didn’t seem to be having as much luck as she, since he was still flustered. “Oh, oh, uh…yeah, yeah!! Um, did he brag about his pockets a lot?” Adrien never had stammered around Ladybug as himself or as Chat Noir, and, quite frankly, he wasn’t sure why he was now. He could only assume it was because he was nervous she might guess he was Chat Noir. When he fretted, he became a reckless, stuttering mess, just like he was now.

Ladybug noticed his rushed, unsure speech, but she didn’t notice his discomfort, much less the reason for it. No, she was distracted in her own memories of her feline-partner.

“He did. He bragged about it constantly.” She fondly recalled, a smile pulling at her lips.

…it seemed like a long, long time ago. And, while yes, it was in the past, it was only a week previous. Chat was no longer her partner. Though she referred to Adrien as her ‘temporary-partner’ she feared that his stay would become permanent.

She loved the boy, cherished him, felt very lucky to not only know him but to be in his class. He was one of the two best people – the other being Chat Noir – that she knew. Adrien was her sun; she often said that she couldn’t survive without him. An obvious exaggeration. But she thought it to be true. He was handsome, kind, considerate, brave, smart, his random bursts of wisdom were truly remarkable, and he helped her get through hard times, like with Lila. He was trustworthy, too. The whole package, plus some. Oh, how she wanted to grow old with him.

Even so, he wasn’t Chat.

Chat Noir was all the things Adrien was, with an addition of a few talents. He had been given the rare ability to make her laugh, even at the stupidest of things. Let it not go unsaid that Chat Noir was the only one to always know when she was upset, the only one who knew just what she needed to hear.

Many believed he annoyed her to no end, but that was not true. Even with Silencer, when she was left voiceless, Chat Noir made stupid jokes to distract her. Sure, she acted annoyed and whacked him on the head a few times, but she appreciated it. She forgot her lack of speech a few times due to his jokes, and, once she remembered, it was easier to bear, for she knew Chat would stand by her, voice or no.

If Chat had caught her eye first, before Adrien and Luka, things would likely be different.

They may be dating right now.

Now standing before Adrien, answering his innocent query, Ladybug wished Chat was beside her, mock-pouting and complaining that pockets were “his thing”.

Adrien noticed her sorrow, awkwardly shuffling his feet. “Well, if I don’t tell him, and you don’t tell him, he might not notice.”

Ladybug snorted at that, shaking her head. “Good luck. He’s…he’s got eagle eyes.”

Adrien blushed slightly at that, thankful his mask covered up that part of his face.

“Well, on to a new…new matter, we’re going to have to learn to get synced up with one another to battle Akumas properly.”

_That shouldn’t be a problem._ Adrien thought, hiding his mirth as well as he could. _What will be a problem is getting used to this costume and power switch. I’ll probably try to use cataclysm on something; seriously confusing Ladybug._

“So, I presume Sass explained it to you?” Ladybug questioned, interrupting his train of thought.

At his blank look, she elaborated. “Your powers. He explained your powers to you, right?”

Powers? What are my powers again? Did Sass explain them?

…oh, wait, of course he did. Shapeshifting. Transforming. Well, duh. Why’d I forget that? “He did.” Adrien confirmed aloud, nodding once. “Shapeshifting. Morphing. Transforming. Other names for it.”

“Changing?” Ladybug shrugged, unsure. “That’s not as ornate as the other words, but it’s one.”

Suddenly, Adrien frowned, eyebrows furrowing. “I’m not sure he explained the phrase to me.”

“If you don’t know the phrase, he must not have even mentioned the phrase.”

_No, he did not. Shoot; should have asked him._

_…why do I get the feeling that’s she about to ask something that might give me away?_

“How do you know there is a phrase?”

“I was Aspik previously.” Adrien responded. “I’m going to assume there’s a different phrase.”

“Ah.” Ladybug sighed, relief pulling at her shoulders. “That makes…sense. Sorry, I just… ugh. Sometimes I get paranoid.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah…me too…” Adrien agreed, voice drifting off. “I mean, it’s hard not to be paranoid, I’m sure, when anyone you know could be Hawkmoth.”

She gazed at him for a moment, nodding. “Yeah. It is.”

“What is the phrase?” Adrien asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Switch Scales.” Came the answer from the heroine, her arms folded. “With those, you can turn into anything with the same melody. It only matters what your intent is.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Fun fact, Chat Noir’s Cataclysm works the same way. It destroys as much as his intent is. I, however, have no control over Lucky Charm. I have no control over it.”

“Wait, the same melody?” Adrien unhooked the harp from his belt, clutching it in one hand. “Does that mean I have to know how to play it in order to transform?”

_That wasn’t right._ Adrien knew, his absolute certainty, that Alya had no idea how to play the flute, just the tuba. And there was no possible way she could have learned how to play in the short time she was being retrieved. Maybe she had went into training before Ladybug had summoned her for a mission?

Then she would have mentioned at some point that she played the flute…at least to Marinette. And, having the excellent hearing he did…he would have overheard it. He listened to a lot of random conversations while being bored, and everyone had no idea.

He heard a lot of weird things that more-or-less confused him, and he spent way too much time trying to make sense of them. For example, Alix liked unicorns. Was obsessed, even. She just… didn’t like mentioning it, for fear she’d lose her status as the ‘butt-kick-girl’.

And instantly Alya had argued that Ladybug had that rank, but Alix sassed back ‘IN OUR CLASS’.

And Marinette promptly choked on her food.

Confusing, but okay.

But, in all seriousness, he would have found out if Alya actually played the flute.

And she played it pretty well as Rena Rouge…maybe it was an instinct thing. He’d bet it was.

Ladybug’s voice brought him back to the present, her blue pig tails swinging back and forth as she shook her head. “The Kwamis take care of that. At least, Trixx – Rena Rouge’s Kwami – did. From what I’ve learned, all Kwamis with musical instruments do. All you really need to know is where to put your fingers. The rest will come to you.” She took his hand, guiding his fingers to the proper cords. “Here, and here, and…and…”

Ladybug’s face heated as she realized she held Adrien’s fingers in her own, literally touching his hand without thinking of it hardly at all.

How much she had dreamed of it, had hoped for it, had prayed for it as Marinette. How often she wished she could touch him with no excuse at all, but simply because she wished it to be so. Without receiving any surprised, agitated looks from anyone, no suspecting glances, but just being a couple on the street holding hands.

It wasn’t much, was hardly worth thinking about, but she had always longed for it. Even just sharing an ice cream cone would have been enough.

Now, as she stared blankly at her hand laid atop his, staring in shock, she could only wonder how she hadn’t noticed what in the world she was doing ten seconds earlier. They were literally touching, and she had been oblivious.

Adrien remained blissfully ignorant to her cause of hesitation, staring blankly at their hands intertwined as he slowly processed the pause. “…did I do something wrong?”

They gazed dully at their hands, before Adrien suddenly perked up.

“Oh.” He whispered in realization, still stunned.

Ladybug let go of his hand, clearing her throat in worry. “Um…and th-the last one goes on the-the third cord…”

“Okay…” Adrien agreed quietly, moving his finger to the proper position. “I’m sorry, I should have—”

“—no, I was the one who did it first—”

“—I should have payed attention better—"

“—It wasn’t your fault—"

“—I’m sorry!!” They both chimed the last one together, blushing fiercely.

The two stared at each other, then both began to laugh, shaking their heads in amusement.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

_I can use this opportunity to get to know Adrien better_. Ladybug smiled to herself, looking awkwardly down at her hands.

_I can try to win my lady’s favor, but, as Adrien. Not as Chat Noir._ Adrien thought with glee, still red in the face.

_Yes, this just might turn out to be something beautiful._


	10. Requiem (Dear Even Hansen)

After practicing with Adrien's Miraculous – he accidently turned into a snake most of the time because he couldn't get his snake costume off of his mind – Ladybug and Aspik – the boy having reused his former name – were leaping through Paris, staring out across the city.

People, used to Ladybug leaping across city, hardly spared them a first glance, expecting to see the original duo jumping from building to building, a snarl of disgust still painted across their faces.

One glance, look away, do a retake and a shout of joy as they pointed at Ladybug and her new partner, shouting out questions.

Thirty minutes into patrol, and they were used to it. Everyone was just too excited when they noticed the absence of Chat Noir and a new hero in his place.

Just by looking at her, Aspik could see her discomfort, the way she desperately wanted everyone to stop being such jerks to Chat Noir.

"Well." Ladybug finally said as yet another group called after them where Chat Noir was, and if he was forever gone? "There doesn't seem to be any akumas around tonight. I think…I think we're good for the night."

Aspik nodded, turning his head to look in the direction of his house. "Alright. But, if there is an akuma, we'll come back out, right?"

"Of course." Ladybug agreed, nodding. "But for now,…I think it's safe to assume we're fine."

Aspik nodded in agreement, peering over the edge at the people below. "Okay, M—Ladybug." He blushed profusely, looking like he wanted to be hit. Why he had a bewildered expression plastered on, Ladybug had no idea.

Ladybug thought for a bit, then decided to review the obvious. "Remember, nobody can know who you are."

Adrien's mouth moved for a few seconds, no sound coming out before he at last nodded. "Makes sense; especially when anyone could be Hawkmoth. It'd be foolish to risk it."

His words made Ladybug inwardly chuckle; it had been a bit longer than a year ago that she had presumed he, or his father, was Hawkmoth. And while a tickling sensation at the back of her head told her Mr. Agreste may still be the infamous villain, she ignored it for the most part.

Now, she smiled at him, heading for the edge of the building.

Once she stood at the tip of the roof, she turned back around to smile at him. "Good, you understand. See you tomorrow." Ladybug back flipped off the roof, did a couple of spins in midair, tossed her yo-yo up to the highest building in sight, the end getting tangled up with a mysterious object. The sudden attachment yanked her from her free fall halfway to the street and dragged her to her destination. As she left, she could see Aspik fully turn to the crowd and wave shyly.

While he'd most likely never fill Chat's shoes of being 'Best Partner in the World'; he'd do just fine. Just fine.

With a heart full of joy, Ladybug made her way home, only fifteen city blocks away, leaping onto her balcony as she detransformed. One flash of pink later, and Marinette stood where Ladybug had previously been.

The air beside her left ear now was occupied with Tikki, the small-yet-extremely-old Kwami of creation stretching. "That was a long run, Marinette! Did you do everything you wanted to with him?"

"No, Tikki; I didn't. I got so frustrated with the crowds that I neglected to introduce Aspik to the people of Paris formally." Marinette explained, swinging open her trapdoor and stepping in.

"Oh." Tikki squeaked, following her chosen inside. "Well, there's always tomorrow. Were the crowds really that bad?" She, of course, knew that they were that bad. But she awaited Marinette's response.

"They chased us through Paris screaming 'Good riddance to Chat Noir', and that 'there was no possible way this new hero would be a worst candidate then Chat' and things like that. It was horrible!" Marinette complained, picking up the crocheting she had started the day before.

Tikki nodded sagely, sighing. "Not all people are as virtuous as you and Chat Noir. Most are evil and will think they're right even when they're wrong. It's a broken world."

"Like Lila." Marinette suggested, her face wrinkling into a scowl just by thinking of the young Italian girl. "She justifies lying by claiming she's just telling people what they want to hear."

Tikki studied Marinette for a moment, then sighed gently. "Marinette…you're the same way."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Marinette asked, distracted slightly when she messed up a stitch.

"Chris." Tikki prompted, trying to get Marinette to remember. "You lied to Chris about being one of Santa's elves, and afterwards tried to make it right by claiming you were telling him a nice story."

"So, you're comparing me to Lia?"

"No, of course no-!" Tikki cut herself off, lowering her head. "Marinette, I'm just pointed out that you do much the same as Lila does. So, I suppose…yes. I am comparing you to her. It's not right to lie, and you've both told 'nice, little stories' to distract others from the truth."

A look of utter shock and disgust crossed Marinette's face, the expressing deepening with every passing second. After a minute, she spoke. "Tikki, it's different with me because—"

"That's humanity." Tikki shrugged. "I'm being honest, right now, Marinette. Humans will be hypocrites and then claim it's different for them because of some random reason. I'm not saying you're as bad as Lila, I'm just stating facts."

Marinette thought for a moment, the clicking of needles the only noise in the room for half a minute. "Oh."

"While, yes, I believe you are a better person then Lila for you made it right in the end by telling the truth, you took the same trail as her for a bit."

Marinette's shoulders sagged, despair creeping onto her face. "How often have you noticed me doing things like that?"

"Not too particularly often." Tikki comforted, smiling gently at her chosen. "But, once in a while, you will do something that I do not approve of, then justify it somehow or another."

Marinette was silent for a few more minutes, deep in her subconsciousness.

"Marinette, sweetie!" Sabine's voice rang from the kitchen, the happiness that she felt obvious in her tone. "Dinner time!"

"Coming, Mama!" Marinette called back, tilting her head toward the trap door in her floor. "I'll think about it, Tikki." She shifted the topic, glancing at her Kwami in sorrow. "And I'm sorry."

"I'm not blaming you, Marinette." Tikki comforted, circling her chosen. "I was simply observing."

"I know." Marinette hummed, standing up and adjusting her swivel chair so she could immediately jump onto it after dinner. "I'll try to do better."

Tikki didn't look like she knew what else to say, so she settled for flying up onto the kwami-sized bed Marinette had made for her.

Meanwhile, Marinette headed below to meet her family for dinner.

"Hello, Marinette!" Her father boomed, the oldest Dupain-Cheng smiling merrily. "I haven't seen you at all today; was your hibernation fun?"

"Daaad…" Marinette complained, nestling her way into her chair.

"I'm just kidding, sweetie." He soothed, patting her hand. "How was school? Eventful?"

"Not particularly." Marinette shrugged, sighing. Then, against her better judgement – knowing her parents despised Chat Blanc along with the rest of the city – she brought up the subject. "It seems all anyone can talk about is Chat Blanc."

Her parents exchanged a worried look, Sabine setting a bowl of salad on the table. "Well…honey, Chat Blanc, or, as people have started calling it, "the White Plague" was a pretty horrible day. It's worth discussing. You know all about those akuma therapy groups that have formed across the city. People trying to cope with their new mental illnesses; all because it needs to be shared; be spoken about."

Marinette thought of Chat Noir, her heart squeezing. Most ex-akumas had to talk about their experience to get better; thus, forming the multiple therapy groups just for akumas. Chat would never be able to join one, even as his civilian form. He couldn't just not mention which akuma he was, for, if he did, not only would his identity be revealed, but would also cause mass panic among his group and probably a deep hatred for the members. What if he was one of that ninety percent that needed to talk it out? If he was, he'd be all alone, unable to deal with it…

The sound of her mother saying Chat's name jerked Marinette's subconsciousness back to the dinner table, as she focused on the conversation at hand.

"After all," Sabine was saying, "people always end up having to talk about their loses, and Chat Blanc wiped out at least one member from every city in Paris."

"Except ours." Marinette finished as she stared at her empty plate, devoid of food. "We got lucky."

Silence.

Dread settled in Marinette's stomach from the dread of it all, and she raised her head to them, horror stricken.

"…right? Mama? Papa?"

"Marinette…" Sabine started, sorrow filling her face.

"My…" Tom stiffened, hesitating. "my parents, they…they…"

Fear made the teen's heart stop.

"Well," Tom took a deep breath, inhaling through the nose. "As you know, twenty years ago they divorced. But…lately, they've been making an effort to get together again; they really are trying. The day that… _he_ was akumatized, they happened to be on a date, and… and he…"

Another awkward pause.

"They were at Andre's, and he…he wiped out almost the whole street, including them. It…Marinette…"

Marinette ignored her father, pushing back from her seat. How…how could they hide that form her? She didn't even know her grandparents had also died in the attack until now! And they didn't even tell her! Why not; she wanted to know!

"Marinette!" Sabine chided her daughter, stopping the teen from her frantic escape endeavors. "Stay seated. You still need to eat up."

Marinette grumpily flopped back into her seat, glaring at her spot.

Sabine served the lasagna onto her daughter's plate, sighing. "I know that it's hard, but it's true. He killed your grandparents and many others."

"How'd you find out?" Marinette asked quietly, staring down at nothing. "If they were dead…"

"Somebody took a video of Chat Blanc taking out everyone on the street, and they showed it on the news right after you went up to your room to check on Alya and make sure she was safe."

_When I was transforming into Ladybug. And fighting Chat Blanc_. Marinette translated to herself, still gazing at her plate.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Tom murmured staring at the wall. "We just…we just didn't want to worry you or upset you."

"I understand." Marinette assured, though she didn't want to understand. She didn't want to get it, but she was thankful that they hadn't come up and seen an empty room. Mass panic would have happened.

While she thought on this, and dinner lapsed into silence, she finally began to understand exactly why they were fairly angry at Chat along with the rest of the city.

Even so, she was still disappointed with them. Her parents were sweet, kind, considerate, overall the best people ever. They even tried to get Chat Noir to love her when she 'confessed' her love for him. But one big mess up, and he was tossed out the window like he was worthless.

It was wrong, and very upsetting, and while Marinette understood why, she didn't 'get' it.

After dinner, Marinette pushed back from the table, put her dishes on the counter, then rushed back up the stairs right away, her parents staring after her sadly.

She closed the trapdoor gently, climbed her ladder two rungs at a time, then collapsed on her pillow, sobbing her heart out while Tikki watched in silence, knowing she could do nothing.

Wasn't it funny how humans always took things for granted until it was too late?


	11. Kagami Interlude

Kagami considered herself a lot of things. Brave, smart, a fencer, and a hero for just a few.

One thing she absolutely wasn't; she wasn't a common Parisian. She ignored what most people payed attention to. She liked the silence and the busy streets.

She honestly wasn't that fond of Ladybug, either. Sure, she was the heroine of Paris, and defeated akumas often, but, surely, everyone noticed what a valuable role Chat Noir played. If she was a building, Chat Noir was the support beams holding her up, helping her stand tall.

While Ladybug played the part of the planner, the person who fabricated the plots to capture the akuma, he was the defense. He was her shield and sword in the battle.

Ladybug was the brains of the operation, and he was the body.

As a fencer, a woman taught to attack and defend, Kagami related to him the most. Fencing was her life.

Now, hardly a week after the akumatization of Chat Noir, she remembered him as she practiced her strategies against Adrien.

"You're too predictable." Kagami smirked at Adrien, the boy laying at her feet, removing the point of her saber from his gullet and instead taking into both arms, bending both points to flex it.

Adrien grinned up at her, shaking his head. "And here I thought you said I was doing better."

"Better can mean any range of things." Kagami scoffed, offering him a hand up as she pinned her sabre to her magnetic belt hidden beneath her fencing gear. "From wonderful to slight adjustments."

"Uh-huh. You actually told me I was doing amazing."

"Not my true wording." The female fencer scoffed, shaking her head. "Besides, that was a month ago. Your performance has been lacking for the past week."

"Oh." Suddenly, his cheerful face crashed, and his eyes lowered in thought. "I've…had a lot on my mind this past week."

"Hmm. I'm sure you're just as distracted as the rest of Paris." Kagami guessed, arching an eyebrow. "And just as toxic."

"What do you mean, 'toxic'?" Adrien demanded to know, removing his helmet and shaking out his blonde locks.

"You know. All of Paris. Chat-haters." Kagami dismissed, waving her hand. "Anyhow, despite your predictable endeavors, you did fairly well. That was a good training session."

"Thank you?" Adrien curiously shrugging, arching an eyebrow. "I honestly don't know if that was a compliment, an insult, or one of those weird mid-way points."

Kagami didn't answer him. She had to keep up her mysterious persona somehow, and what better way then to reject his wish for answers?

Removing her own helmet, she assured her saber was properly fastened to her belt, smiling softly at him. "You know how you have a free schedule this afternoon?"

"I do." Adrien nodded, heading for the locker room, Kagami in his wake. "Basketball practice got cancelled."

"I was not aware you had basketball."

"New adjustment, as of two weeks ago." Adrien informed her, pushing open the door, glancing behind him. "Meet you at the entrance in five?"

"Of course." Kagami hesitated, cocking her head. She held out her arm when he continued in his path, making him pause. "You know…Marinette was telling me that one time, when school was released early, you were able to join her friends and her for a photo session without your father knowing. Since basketball or whatever was cancelled…do you want to join Marinette and I today? We're grabbing some juice."

Adrien hesitated, glancing into the locker room. "Well…"

"As long as your father doesn't know that class was cancelled, we should be just peachy." Kagami continued, pushing him into the locker room. "Just think about it." She commanded him, waving as the locker closed behind the boy.

Pivoting, she made her way over to the girl's locker room, where the other female fencers were changing back into their everyday clothes.

Technically, the locker rooms weren't divided in everyday life, but for fencing, where they had to change, the rooms were divided into male and female. Kagami could wander into the other locker room after she gave everyone ten minutes to change, though.

Kagami rapidly switched from her fencing gear to her casual attire, slinging her book bag over her shoulder.

The few other girl fencers – of which there were only two by name of Lou and Christina, spared her a simple "goodbye" as she left, still chatting with each other excitedly.

They weren't good fencers, much less worthy opponents of Kagami. She didn't tell them as such, despite how much she would love to, rub in their faces how pathetic they truly were. But she was trying to follow Marinette's instructions to be a good friend.

Kagami reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the entrance to the school fifteen seconds before Adrien came sprinting down them, waving at her excitedly.

"I spoke to Natalie over the phone; she said I could come along; as long as my bodyguard transports us!" Adrien grinned, stopping beside Kagami. "Not a word of this can reach my father, though, or else he'll get mad at me again."

Kagami smiled at that, nodding. "I suppose I am the most fortunate of the two of us; Mother approves of you and Marinette of being my friends."

"My father only approved of Lila being my friend." Adrien responded, eyes narrowing angrily, a growl rising in his throat. "And I wouldn't even know that much if my bodyguard hadn't told me that he has to drive my father and Natalie to see her daily."

"You _are_ quite unlucky." Kagami sympathetically frowned, patting him on the back. "That girl is nothing but trouble."

Adrien laughed, a frown crossing his face. "Thankfully, I've long since figured out how to deal with _her._"

Kagami gazed at him, curious as to what he meant. His frown was almost unnatural – she had never seen him look so cross before. "Good. You'll probably need the skill if she's the only so-called 'friend' your father approved."

Adrien's grin was nothing short of sinister. "You have no idea."

Kagami remained silent until his expression brightened into a happier smile, worries forgotten.

He made his way over to his car, opening up the door. "Hop on in." He offered, and Kagami clambered on in.

Adrien shut the door, making his way over to the other end of the car.

As he did so, Kagami's eyes met the Gorilla's, the huge man watching her through the mirror attached to the front window. He gave her a nod, and she gave him one back, arching an eyebrow at him. Frankly, a human chauffeur seemed more personable then a robot, as her family had.

Adrien's bodyguard made no sign that he noticed her gesture, pointing his gaze straight ahead again.

Hmm. Perhaps he wasn't 'that' personable after all.

Adrien moved into the seat next to her, grinning at her respectfully. Then, he turned his attention to the Gorilla. "This is Kagami! She's taking me to hang out with her and Marinette."

The Gorilla turned around to face the two of them, looking Kagami up and down.

"Please take us to Chatime." Kagami asked, folding her arms in her lap as she addressed the famous juice bar. She and Marinette went to a different juice bar every week for fun; once they determined which ones were the best, they would stick to them.

For now, though, they were still cycling through the options.

The Gorilla glanced at Adrien, who nodded, jerking a thumb at Kagami. "What she said. To Chatime, please!"

The Gorilla nodded, turning around and turning on the car, driving it out of the parking spot.

Adrien and Kagami spoke to each other for a few minutes, but eventually, they lapsed into silence.

Kagami pulled out her phone, about to tell Marinette to expect two people instead of one.

Before she could text Marinette, her phone buzzed as the younger teenager sent her a text of her own, stopping Kagami from typing in favor of reading the new message.

_I brought a plus one._ Marinette's text read, her message lighting up on Kagami's screen. _I hope that's okay. It's Luka; we really need to review his bands' music sometime this week, and this was the only time he was available. I swear I'll spend an equal amount of time with you both._

Kagami shook her head at her friend's worrying personality, even shining through while texting, writing back a message of her own.

_Appropriate. I'm bringing a tagalong too. It'll be Adrien. Apparently, his Basketball practice got cancelled, and I decided to invite him along to kill time._

Marinette didn't respond for a few moments. _Okay!_ She simply wrote, a slight hesitation before she changed the subject. _I'm bringing your new costume, BTW._

_Perfect._ Kagami easily reciprocated. _Be there in five minutes._

"Are you texting Marinette?" Adrien asked, craning his neck around to glance at her phone.

"Indeed, I told her to expect us in five minutes. It appears she's bringing someone of her own choosing, as well. Luka, it appears. The guitar boy."

"Oh!" Adrien grinned, nodding. "He and I get along well! Glad I'm not going to be the only boy there."

"I'm glad you two get along. This'll be our first time formerly meeting." Kagami stiffly responded, pocketing her phone. "At least, I hope we'll be able to properly meet."

"Don't worry, Kagami, I'll make sure the two of you meet." Adrien promised, beaming confidentially. "He's a great guy, I'm sure you'll like him!"

Kagami looked out the window, scoffing. _Sounds like you're trying to set us up._ She thought with mirth, knowing that he simply wanted his two friends to become friends. But he sure was bad with conveying his actual thought process.

"I haven't seen Luka in a few weeks." Adrien said, turning his attention to the scenery whipping past outside. "Not since Desperada."

"Ah, yes. I remember her." Kagami recalled, but, truthfully, she only remembered grabbing a random musical instrument and charging the female akuma. Then her memory stopped, resuming about half an hour later as she finished her mad rush, only to find Desperada gone and red, magical ladybugs retreating into the background. "I was able to meet several of your friends that day, if I recall correctly. But not Luka."

"You should absolutely meet him." Adrien nodded, still gazing out the window. "You'd like him if you ever met him."

Once more the ride transformed from talkative to silent, the two looking out their represented windows.

Finally, at long last, they arrived at Chatime.

Across the street from the juice bar, Marinette and Luka were sitting at one of the benches, watching something on Luka's laptop. Luka, in his right hand, held a collection of music sheets, jotting down notes on them every few seconds. Marinette had a notebook next to her, scribbling on it in rhythm to Luka. Her phone had also joined the duo, plugged into the computer. Both Marinette and Luka were wearing headphones, the pair plugged into a duel-headphone cord.

The car pulled up beside them - the Gorilla recognizing Marinette from their few chance encounters.

Marinette looked up as the car stopped, then turned her attention back down at her notes, still writing.

Adrien exited the car first, waving to her. "Hi, Marinette!"

At that, her head jerked up again. "Wha-? Padrien! I-I mean Adrien! Bellow! No…yellow! _Hello_! Adrien, hello!"

Kagami put her hand on the inside handle, waiting for Adrien to demonstrate his chivalries attitude by opening her door.

Adrien, as predicted, arrived on her side of the car, reaching for the handle.

Kagami, however, thrust it open before Adrien could touch it, causing the model to stumbled back in surprise. His look of utter bewilderment made her grin, and he pouted.

"Kagami!"

"Worth it." Kagami shrugged, turning to Marinette, who had already jumped up, headphones slipping off her head into the computer keyboard.

Luka, who, at this point had also looked up, took his time pausing whatever was playing, carefully removing his headphones, putting down his pencil, and made his way over.

"Hi, Kagami!" Marinette laughed, embracing Kagami as she grinned up at the slightly older girl. "It's so good to see you, again! It's been two weeks!"

The previous week's meeting had been cancelled due to The White Plague.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Marinette." Kagami responded, managing to get her arms wrapped around Marinette in a semi-comfortable position. She was horrible at hugs.

"Good to see you, Luka." Adrien greeted the taller boy, grinning at Marinette and Luka in his usual way.

The two shook hands, clapping each other on the back with their left hands while they did so.

"You too, Adrien." Luka nodded, smiling at the two newcomers. "And it's nice to see you again, Kagami."

"It's good to be formally introduced." Kagami agreed, nodding slowly.

Marinette and Adrien both seemed to simultaneously realize that was their cue to actually make them properly meet.

Acting as one, they both went to their representative partners, Marinette grabbed Luka's arm and all but dragged him half-way over to Kagami. Meanwhile, Adrien tried to grab Kagami and pull her along, then decided to change tactics after his first attempt was fruitless, going behind her instead to push. After quite a bit of shoving - Kagami was proud of how resistant she had been - Adrien managed to move her the rest of the way, so that the two older teenagers stood facing each other.

"Luka," said Adrien, gasping for breath, "meet Kagami, my fencing buddy and Marinette and I's mutual buddy."

"Kagami, meet Luka!" Marinette introduced, grinning. "My favorite teenage musician, and Adrien and I's favorite musical buddy!"

"Just don't tell any of the other members of Kitty Section." Adrien joked, winking. "Or Jagged Stone for that matter."

"Luka, will you _please _tell Adrien, for the last time, I'm Jagged's part time designer, not his friend?" Marinette huffed, lifting her nose into the air.

"Don't you design all his things now?" Luka teased, not on his female friend's side at all. "So much for part time."

"Luka!" Marinette whined, gazing sidelong at Kagami. "Please tell me you're on my side."

"I'm not sure who Jagged Stone is." Kagami shrugged.

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a lot of horror, frantically looking at each other, to Kagami, and back again.

Luka pulling his iPhone from his pocket, typing something in. There was a delay, then he pressed something else, handing it over to Kagami.

A man with purple hair and a black leather jacket popped up on the screen, fingers flashing across his guitar so fast that Kagami couldn't follow his movements.

"Jagged Stone; one of the most popular song artists in the world." Luka described, swiping onto another video where the man was playing a piano with a gentle tune in comparison to his previously loud and riotous music. "He can play any kind of music, and almost every instrument." He explained, switching from video to video. "He's fairly impressive."

"He's the man who akumatized Desperada…Vivian, was it? And on television. He's quite egotistic." Kagami deadpanned as Luka finally stopped scrolling, landing on a video of a much younger Jagged Stone playing a violin. "How long has he been playing?"

"Since he was a kid. He only started making music for the world a little more than seventeen years now." Said Luka as he shut his phone off. "However, he became a big deal a couple of years ago."

"He became 'The' big deal." Marinette corrected, Adrien nodding in agreement. "I can't believe we've been friends for a few months now without me knowing you didn't know about him!"

"Uh-huh." Kagami grunted. "I suppose this means I'll have to listen to his music now."

Marinette, Adrien, and Luka grinned collectively; their mission complete now that Kagami agreed to give Jagged Stone a chance.

"Oh!" Marientte suddenly said, perking up. She dove underneath the table, grabbing a large plastic bag out from underneath the bench, shoving it into Kagami's hands. "Take it! I made it exactly how you wanted."

Kagami took the package into her hands, peering in. "Thank you, Marinette. It looks wonderful."

"Try it on!" Marinette insisted, eagerly guiding her toward Chatime. "I want to see how you look and if I need to make any necessary adjustments."

The boys arched an eyebrow at each other curiously as Kagami was propelled for the juice bar, but for the better part ignored it, heading over to the laptop to continue doing whatever Luka and Marinette had been doing before she arrived.

Probably reviewing the 'Kitty Section' music, as Marinette put it. Correcting musical errors and such. And Marinette was probably designing.

Marinette pushed Kagami into the bathroom along with the package, waving. "Come out when you're done; I want to see what you look like!"

Kagami blinked, staring down at the folds of clothes.

She unfolded them, staring down at the black fabric with the tight, secure sewing holding it tight. Quick as a wink, Kagami changed into the black and partly lime green fabric, staring down at it.

No longer was she dressed in white and red which was traditional for her, but in the opposites of those colors.

Kagami twirled, stared down at it, pinching it, flabbergasted when it stretched with ease.

_"This'll fit you for several years."_ Marinette had explained last week over the Facetime, stretching the black fabric. _"And maybe a growth spurt or two. It's a special sort of fabric that stretches."_

Kagami nodded at the words, turning to look at the left curve on her waist, where a neat black cat with green outlines was sewn, a blonde tuff of fur and yellow bell hung from its neck. It looked incredible. And on the shoulder, sure enough, was sewn; _Ne méprise pas le chat noir._ "Don't despise the black cat." A motto Marinette had crafted and sewn on her pro-Chat outfit the designer had crafted. Kagami had requested the saying for her fencing suit.

About a month previously, Kagami had noticed her old fencing outfit had been getting too small for her, so Marinette being the good friend she was, took Kagami's measurements and crafted a special suit that would stretch as Kagami grew.

The week following the Chat Blanc attack was the only week for another few months that Marinette had enough time to sew it, so, after the White Plague, Kagami had learned about Marinette's everlasting trust in the feline. So, Kagami accordingly asked for the completed version of her fencing outfit to be Chat Noir based.

Marinette complied, and now Kagami was dressed like her favorite hero.

Kagami, after giving the newly crafted suit a quick, five second test, was satisfied, exited the bathroom and making a beeline for where Marinette and the boys were waiting outside.

Marinette raised her head with a smile when Kagami exited, nodding appreciatingly. "That looks amazing, Kagami!"

Adrien and Luka looked up at her words, blue and green eyes glancing over her simply.

Luka looked a bit unsure, and Kagami had to take a minute to remember he was anti-Chat, and thus wouldn't approve of the fencing uniform.

Adrien grinned approvingly, then his grin melted into a horrified gape. "Aw, I can't fight against you! It'd be like fighting Chat Noir!"

"And we all know those attempts were fruitless." Luka murmured, staring down at his keyboard.

Adrien sent him an irritated look; eyebrows knit together. "I-"

"Oh, com'n, boys!" Marinette brightly smiled. "We're all friends here, friends having fun!"

Kagami laughed as Adrien's frown deepened slightly, sitting down across the bench form Luka and next to Marinette. "That we are. Differences supposedly, according to multiple friendship blogs, make friends closer. We may have different views on Chat Noir, but we're supposed to put those disagreements behind us."

Adrien smiled at that, agreeing. "That's certainly true."

Luka only shrugged. "I was never annoyed with it; I was only saying what actually happened. Please forgive my failure with words." He pleaded, and Marinette reached over to pat his arm.

"It's okay, Luka, we understood it for the most part." She promised, smiling.

"I understood your blunt statement." Kagami put in, not saying much else as she went to sipping the orange juice Marinette handed her.

Luka nodded, returning to listening to his music.

As Adrien and Marinette chatted about the designs in Marinette's hands, the designer stammering as little as possible, Kagami found herself gazing at the trio of friends, glad that she had joined Marinette and Luka, and that Adrien had joined her. She was one of them now, and happy to be so. She was one fo the group.

Kagami was many things, she realized. She was brave, smart, a fencer, a hero, and a Chat Noir fan. But she was also a friend. And a friend was a part of her she didn't ever want to let go.


	12. Mme. Bustier Interlude

Caline Bustier hummed to herself, collecting the papers together, ready to bring them home for the night. There, she would put them into safe keeping until Monday, which was when the school would open its doors once more.

It was Friday, exactly a week after the initial attack of Chat Blanc, and Caline had never been more tired.

It was quite difficult to stop her students from talking during her class about that scoundrel, and hard to keep them accounted for while a few of them, usually Kim, went off to protest against the feline villain. She was all for it the first day, and encouraged him, but now he was absent every day from her class. She would have to text his parents.

As teacher, she only had her students’ parents’ phone number, all except for Marinette, who, as Class Representative, had direct contact to Mme. Bustier.

Caline moved to turn off the lights, freezing when she spotted a few loose objects scattered around the classroom. A stick of lip gloss at Chloe’s table that she probably wouldn’t miss and just throw away when it was returned to her on Monday, Nino’s bubble container, Ivan had a pin shaped like a heart left at his desk, and, as usual, Rose had left a random pink trinket. or an IPO, as the teachers usually referred to the Inexplicable Pink Objects.

Caline gathered all these things up, writing herself a mental note to ask everyone to pick up all their things or else they’d be thrown away. After all, picking up the objects was getting tedious. She’d had to deal with it for the last two and a half courses. Which, in theory, was eight months straight of picking things up.

As Caline headed down to her desk again, under which was left a Lost and Found box, she passed Marinette and Alya’s bench, spotting the former’s sketchbook laying face-up on the table. Caline ignored it for the time being, emptying the objects currently in her arms into the box, then headed back to Marinette’s chair.

It was open to a page with a few different costume designs. By looking closer, Mme. Bustier was able to tell that the people in uniform were supposed Marinette, Adrien, and another feminine figure Caline was unable to identify, but could see from the eyes was Asian and had short hair. Contrary to what she expected, Caline realized that the outfits the three were wearing weren’t wedding uniforms but were actually everyday clothes. In tiny script somewhere on each were the words _Ne méprise pas le chat noir._

Caline, aware of her student’s possessiveness of her drawing atlas, opened up Marinette’s name in her text, the last message from about a month ago when they had discussed some things Marinette wanted to take care of for the class.

_Marinette, I have your sketchbook here at school. I will return it to you on Monday._ She texted rapidly.

If it had been Nathaniel with his sketchbook, Mme. Bustier would have contacted his parents, same with the rest of the class and their favorite things. For example, Adrien’s ring that he was overprotective of, the promise rings Mylene and Ivan had given to one another, or Markov for Max.

Returning her attention to the book, Mme. Bustier stared at the small writing.

_'Ne méprise pas le chat noir',_ Caline read silently, sitting down in Marinette's spot so that she could look at the book comfortably. Of course, she wouldn't flip through it, but she was intrigued by the sketches on the open page before her.

_'Ne Méprise pas le chat noir’, eh? _Mme. Bustier inwardly repeated, cocking an eyebrow. She got that from me, didn't she? Indeed, it was among one of their first lessons that semester; _'Ne méprise pas ton prochain'. _'Don't despise your neighbor.'

_Clever Marinette_. Caline ruefully thought, resting her chin on the back of her palm, mimicking The Thinker sculpture. _Shoving my lessons back in my face without actually doing anything. I doubt she knew I’d ever read this._

And now Caline was curious. Was she in the wrong?

Encouraging hateful behavior in her students?

Chat Noir was a murderer. Granted, several other akumas killed people, such as Syren, Style Queen, Gamer, and Befana. Frozer was supposedly also guilty, but it wasn't proven if he killed people when he froze them, or just sent them into a cryogenic sleep.

However, none of these killed quite so many as Chat, nor did they make it their main focus to slay all in their path. It was simply different.

But, as the maxim said, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. Murderer or not, Caline had to remind herself that he had been under Hawkmoth's control. It wasn't this fault, no matter how hard it was to think. As a sinful, evil human, she wanted to peg the boy she saw instead of the mastermind. A poor, innocent boy, framed. And though it was obvious who the true convict was, everyone believed the boy was the doom of them.

_Wait a second._ Caline realized, standing as she picked up the book, closing it gently.

Chat Blanc, under Hawkmoth's control, had killed a million individuals, and not a single person went that day without losing someone they knew. The entire city had been grieving.

Caline had discovered long ago that it was not beyond Hawkmoth to prey on the sorrow of others from a dead loved one. He had done so several times in the past; any Parisian would be able to recall at least one of the advents that demonstrated his cruelty.

He could've taken over the grief of the entire city, formulated another Heroes’ day. Perhaps he would have even landed his akumatization powers upon all of the temporary heroes, leaving Ladybug utterly alone. Unless, perhaps, she too was burdened by her sorrow.

But he didn't use those negative emotions. Caline frowned at the realization, gently placing the sketch book into the bin.

She headed out the door, locking the school room door firmly behind her, sighing gently.

“Have a good weekend, Caline.” Selene Mendeleiev quipped, done with locking up her classroom, too.

“You as well, Selene.” Caline responded, waving to the older and more experienced teacher. “I hope you enjoy your family reunion.”

Mme. Mendeleiev just nodded, adjusting her glasses as she quickly walked ahead of Mme. Bustier and disappeared down the stairwell.

Caline followed, slower, running her fingers through her hair, lost in though and she considered everything that had happened the in the last week. “Good night, Fred and Keith.” She waved to the janitor and principle; the two men immersed in a conversation.

Fred Haprèle tipped his hat to her, giving her a plesent smile, and Keith Damocles gave her a stiff nod, then returned to their discussion.

Mme. Bustier left the building, going toward the bus stop, humming to herself as she began to really think.

What did make Chat Blanc different so much worse than all the other akumas? He wasn’t the first deadly akuma, and there was no way he’d be the last.

Even though Hawkmoth didn’t take advantage of the situation and create a rip off of the Hero’s Day situation, he could’ve at least released a few other different akumas that were just as deadly as Chat Blanc, or at very least a challenge for the heroes. Ladybug and…and…what was the new hero’s name? A Spike?

Heavens, Caline had already forgotten. Leaning against the pole holding up the bus stop sign, a quick search proved it to be Aspik, not A Spike, which would honestly make no sense. <strike>It still made no sense to Caline, but eh.</strike>

So. Hawkmoth didn’t just waste one mass-akuma attack, but also wasted the entire week – for himself - by being scarce.

What kind of master plan was he cooking up? He was a smart, sinister man. He thought up plans that challenged those of Ladybug herself. So, he should’ve tried to pull them off, or, at very least, conjured up those ideas.

Caline boarded the bus, finding a spot near the back and pulled out her book, _Murder on the Orient Express,_ out of her bag and opening it up to the second part. She couldn’t focus on the words, however, and put it down again, laying it on her lap, staring out the window.

Chat Blanc wasn’t inherently evil…he was being forced to be evil. Just like Mme. Bustier had been when she was Zombiezou. He hadn’t been aware of what he was doing but driven by his anger.

Caline thought for a moment, sighing. Adrien had been upset on Friday. When he had went home, she had been afraid he would be akumatized, but Chat Noir beat him to it. If Adrien had done the same things as Chat Blanc had, Caline wondered if Paris would’ve turned on him as well. Adrien was loved, Chat Noir was looked down on.

It was discriminating.

Caline tapped her chin, thinking for a moment, then fished her phone out of her bag. She hesitated for a bit more, then quickly sent a second text to Marinette. _If you’re taking commissions, I’d like a Chat Noir scarf._


	13. My Shelter

"And then whizz, Ladybug comes out of nowhere with a new superhero behind her, both heading high-speed towards the Eiffel Tower. By the time I got my phone out, she and the new guy were long gone." Alya waved her hands around, beaming at her best friend. "Seems like Ladybug is getting a replacement for Chat Noir, after all. I was right, girl!"

"Maybe not." Adrien shrugged from their right; eyes focused on the phone in his hands. "Maybe he's Chat Noir with new powers of something, so he and Ladybug can keep working together but without civilians getting in the way."

_It's a good argument,_ Marinette thought, watching him carefully for any signs that he was lying, _but you and I - or, more accurately, you and Ladybug - know the truth. And that's not it._

"Com'n, dude. Don't act like Dr. Buzzkill. This is great; Chat Noir is finally gone. Hopefully for good." Nino amended, crossing his arms as he fiddled with his bubble bottle. He hardly ever carried it after the Bubbler incident - where he literally forced all adults to suffer in outer space, and to think he thought Chat Blanc was bad - and seeing him clutching it was usually a good sign. Usually.

Now, all Marinette thought think of was, _Traitor_, while she glared daggers at Nino, snarling to herself.

He wasn't wrong, though. Adrien - Aspik - was Chat Noir's replacement, and Chat Noir really did believe that his gig as superhero was done.

"Well," Marinette shrugged, hoping to continue Adrien's story along, even though she knew it wasn't true, "If it's not Chat Noir, why'd Ladybug get a completely new partner instead of using some of the old temp heroes, like Rena Rouge or Carapace?"

Hesitation.

Alya and Nino stopped in their tracks, staring in shock at each other. Marinette could practically see the gears turning, amusement bubbling up within her chest.

It only increased when Adrien next spoke. "With all these Akumas skilled in experience and danger, and growing in it every day, wouldn't a previous hero be better than a new one?"

Nino and Alya continued to gaze at one another, as if each other's faces held the answer to mystery behind Adrien's words.

"Queen Bee is better than either of the other sissy-temps and that Chat-lamey." Chloé announced, marching past them in anger.

Marinette wasn't sure if she had been eves dropping on them or was just continuing a conversation with Sabrina, her lackey, who was stumbling behind as she mumbled apologizes to everyone she accidentally bumped into while carrying her and Chloé's backpacks in the same hand.

“Well, at least she’s better then Chat Noir. Not better then-- Wait, wasn’t Queen Bee fired?” Alya inquired, tilting her head after the rich teenager.

“She was.” Adrien flinched at Alya’s blunt statement, still occupied with his phone. “Well, more of laid off instead of fired. But, seriously, why didn’t Ladybug choose an old hero?”

“Maybe…” Nino said thoughtfully. “It’s a guy with previous training. Someone she’s had ready to take over for Chat Noir from the start.”

Adrien paused at that, pocketing his phone, frowning a bit. “Maybe. I highly doubt that, though.”

“Yeah, me too.” Marinette agreed, maybe a bit too quick to be convincing. How could she not agree with every little thing Adrien said? “I’m sure Ladybug’s busy; why would she spend so much time training someone as a replacement for someone who had yet to do anything wrong?”

“He did a lot of immature things, annoyed Ladybug, destroyed pretty much anything, and is – was – disrespectful to everyone who disagrees with him!! Have you even heard of the Copycat accident?”

“No…” Nino blinked, confused.

Adrien and Marinette both nodded at the same time.

Then, the non-oblivious trio turned to stare at Nino.

“What? What’s Copycat?” Nino asked, tilting his head as he frowned. “I don’t remember him…”

“It was all over the news a while ago!!” Alya huffed in exasperation, tossing her hands in the air. “How don’t you remember? It was near the beginning of the akumas; one of the first twenty, actually. You know that statue in the park?”

“Yeah, everyone does.” Nino rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “It’s a tourist attraction, now. Marinette, tell them!”

Marinette’s room was situated so that, by standing on her balcony, she had a view into the park nearby. In turn, the park housed the famous statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir. The memento had even been copied by sculptors-in-training, and, when it was done well enough, was shipped to different countries.

Rome, which housed a memorial for all the world-wide Miraculous heroes in the middle of the Colosseum, was one of the receivers of the forged copies. New York had another one, and so did a few smaller cities around the world that Marinette could never recall.

But, being the original, the statue in the park was a tourist attraction, the foreign visitors sitting in its shade, under the protection of the two heroes.

Until some vandal scribbled LOSER on the copper-Chat Noir’s forehead. Now, people pointed and laughed at him and gazed with awe at Ladybug. It wasn’t fair, wasn’t right.

“Yeah.” Marinette said quietly, rubbing her arm. “It is.”

“Well, that statue was made by a man named Theo.” Alya continued. “Reports alter, but one thing is clear; Chat Noir was the one who provoked him to be akumatized; and thus, Theo set about ruining his reputation, and did a pretty good job.”

“Hey, haven’t we all caused an akuma at some--” Adrien began, but Alya was already continuing.

“I don’t understand you, Marinette. I thought you would be on our anti-Chat side. Remember, only about a year ago you called Chat Noir non-legit.” Alya accused, narrowing her eyes at her best friend.

Adrien looked over at her, surprised. “You did?”

“Well… yeah, but I changed my mind!!” Marinette protested, shooting Alya an identical look. “And didn’t’ you call Chat Noir ‘pretty slick’?”

“I changed my mind!!” Alya mimicked her best friend, shaking her head. “I thought he was at the time!! That was before he killed everyone I know and love!”

Marinette flinched inwardly; he had killed two of her family; but they were fine now. It was…weird, honestly, how personalities wavered.

“Not everyone…” Nino shrugged, cowering back at the look she gave him. “I mean…uh… Yeah, pretty much everyone. Yeah. Unwilling agreement.”

“I knew you’d come to my side.” Alya grinned, cuddling up to her boyfriend, who draped an arm around her shoulders fondly.

“You two have the strangest romance I’ve ever seen.” Adrien deadpanned, shaking his head.

“Yep. Those two are weird.” Marinette agreed, shutting her locker.

“Oh, just because the woman is in charge of this chemistry?” Alya challenged, snarling.

“Curse of Eve.” Adrien coughed into his arm, making sure that Alya heard him.

“Hey! I’m actually in charge of Nino!”

“Well, she doesn’t control my life, but…” Nino flapped his hands in hopeless effort to make them understand. “…she scares me.”

“Aw, I’m flattered.” Alya beamed, smiling proudly at her boyfriend. “I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you, too, babe.” Nino obliged, giving her a one-sided hug.

“Romantic…” Adrien beamed, grinning at the two, way too cheerful with watching both of them going about their romantic endeavoring.

“Am I the only sane one here?” Marinette complained, throwing her arms in the air as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“No, no, I agree with you.” Alix complained from the other row of lockers, glancing over at them. “I’m smart, too.”

“Yeah, romance is the worst.” Marinette agreed, pouting at the three of them.

Alya rolled her eyes in annoyance, and Nino balked. Adrien just shrugged.

Alix blinked steadily, shaking her head. “No, idiot. I thought you guys were talking about… what you’re always talking about. You know, the Cha…whatever. Never mind.” Glancing at the couple and Adrien, she bluntly grunted. “But Marinette is right. Ya’ll are dorks. Romantic dorks. _Le pire genre_.”

“The kind that doesn’t like romance is the worst kind.” Adrien returned arching his eyebrow at her in an unsaid challenge.

“Uh-huh. Romance is for dorks. And all four of you – even Marinette – are dorks. So, how about you two get the strings ready?” Alix waved at Adrien and Marinette, a smug grin on his face.

“I do not understand.” Adrien frowned, glancing at Marinette, who shrugged in response.

“You know…tie the knot…means marrying…but, before that, you’ve got to have the strings. You two have gotta date. Get the strings ready to tie the knot. Go on a double date with your other dork friends.” She nodded aimlessly toward Nino and Alya, who both nodded together as they stared at their best friends intently.

“Alix!!” Marinette cried, back straightening in surprise, horror rippling across her features. “You-you…don’t just… you can’t…that…lupid…stupid… Alix!”

Adrien just stared at her for a moment before reacting. “Alix…just…stop. It’s…that’s…”

Alix shrugged, easily skating a circle around the two. “Just saying. You two would make the coolest power couple.”

“Alix!!” Both cried, Adrien more laid back as he simply groaned it, shaking his head as Marinette screamed it, red as a stop light.

“See? Adrien is water or whatever and Marinette is fire. You…complete each other. Anyway, gotta go, losers. Class.” She skated backward, gave them a salute, then turned away and left.

How she walked up the stairs to class with skates on, Marinette would never know. The girl even wore them when she slept – they had learned during a sleepover – and would skate around during gym with them on.

It was a common theory that they were super-glued on when Kim and Ivan worked together to try to pull them off. And Alix had just watched with amusement.

Her smug personality was annoying, but nobody judged. Because Alix was feared by the entire school.

Alix was the kid in Collége Françoise Dupont that was heard about in every corner of school. It wasn’t Chloe or Adrien, though they were both well-known and almost everyone was aware of their presence; it wasn’t Max with his sharp intellect that won the school many prestigious awards, wasn’t Nathaniel and Marc with their comics – which were now being sold at stores across Paris – and was not Alya with the Ladyblog or Nino with his stellar DJ skills. And it wasn’t Marinette, the class representative who stood up to Chloe and was the daughter of the owners of the best bakery in France, knew Jagged Stone and designed not only his album but also some of the newest outfits and had her designs praised highly by both Audrey Bourgeois and Gabriel Agreste – even if she hadn’t read their compliments in Style Queen.

No, the person known school-wide was Alix. Small, yes, but strong. She beat the school’s-long-term-arm-wrestling-champion with one arm literally tied behind her back. She punched Theo the sculptor in the face when he tried to woo a thirteen-year-old girl. She could do one-handed-pushups and handstands, already had taken her driver’s test and was just waiting until she came of age to get her license, knew more languages then anyone, and could literally skate off walls.

Legend had it that whatever she predicted came true; that she once held all of her classmates above her head could fly a boat, plane, or helicopter if need be, worked with Ladybug and Chat Noir multiple times, could fit fifteen cookies in her mouth, and was head gymnast for five years straight before she got bored. Of course, most of the final list were just rumors, but some of them had been proven true.

Young and lithe as she was, she held herself up tall, making all fear her. Those who were small but acted large were often feared, and Alix only proved the theory.

Only her friends didn’t cower from her, and only a select few were her friends.

Namely, her class minus Chloe and Lila, who she called a whimpy drama queen. Causing Lila to burst into tears, weeping in sorrow.

Alix responded by telling her to stop acting four, and to take her hand out of the cookie jar before she got caught, earning confused stares form the class and wails of misery from Lila. And later on, she might have seen high-fiving Marinette and, five minutes after that, was spotted munching on a whole bag and three boxes of Dupain-Cheng bakery goodies.

In short…never question Alix’s skates. She was way too creepy and cool to question. So… they didn’t question or else they would probably die. Do not question her.

“She’s so weird.” Adrien voiced aloud, squinting after her. “How long have you been in the same school as her?”

“Seven years.” Marinette shuddered, recalling all the feats Alix had performed in that time.

“As long as you.” Alya responded staring after the short girl. “And I’m terrified of her.”

“Six years.” Nino nodded to Marinette. “Well, maybe it was seven, but I never noticed her back then.”

“It was seven years for you, too.” Marinette told him, arching an eyebrow. “We’ve been in the same school since we were in preschool, remember?”

Nino hesitated, before his eyes widened in realization. “Right… so, yeah, seven years.”

“I don’t understand how you survived her for that long.” Adrien deadpanned, leaning back from them. “How, even?”

“She’s better then Chloe.” Marinette shrugged, closing her locker fully.

“Oh, yeah, totally.” Nino agreed.

Adrien sighed at their antics, shaking his head. “Chloe’s not all bad…”

Alya shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “We’re not saying she is – though she is – we’re saying Alix is just better.”

Adrien looked desperately like he wanted to facepalm.

“Com’n, Adrien, she was joking. Tell him, babe.” Nino begged, staring at his girlfriend with large eyes

“I wasn’t joking.” Alya teased, nudging her boyfriend playfully. “Let’s just get to class.”


	14. Try Everything - Shakira

Ah, Mr. Pigeon. The most common akuma…the most annoying…and the first one after the Chat Blanc accident, exactly a week after he struck.

The perfect time to show Adrien the ropes.

Luckily, it wasn’t during school; right after it, actually. It was almost as if Hawkmoth was just as sick of it as they were and was giving them an akuma that they didn’t have to go through great lengths to catch.

It was almost as if he was going easy on them, but, no, that couldn’t be it. Hawkmoth would never, ever go easy on them. Maybe he was just still hopeful in the man, even if Mr. Ramier failed every time.

Mr. Ramier – due to Chat Noir’s suggestion – changed his favorite animal, and that had stopped him being akumatized…until today. Ladybug was suspicious that the only reason he was akumatized was because he switched his favorite animal back in angry retaliation.

Ladybug landed on the west side of the building bordering the Louvre, grunting to herself when she spotted Mr. Pidgeon standing on top of his hundreds of birds in front of his usual haunt.

_‘Great; we have to face him again. Purr-sonally, I prefer having a long fight then having a short fight with my allergies plaguing me for days later.’_ Ladybug had heard here and there that people who missed someone close to them would sometimes think things like ‘‘if they were here they’d say ‘fill-in-the-blank’.’’

For Ladybug, it was just an occasional voice in her head that said the strangest things. Things that sounded vaguely Chat Noir-like. Sometimes it seemed to be so loud she actually looked around for her blonde partner and was always met with disappointment. But, anyway, why should she be surprised?

He had told her – well, Marinette her – that he would very possibly never return, and she should have accepted that. She shouldn’t keep her hopes up.

But she still did. She still wanted to talk to him, to playfully criticize celebrities – usually Gabriel Agreste, who, for some reason, Chat Noir especially enjoyed ridiculing – and to complain about how easy akumas were.

But she couldn’t without him. Maybe one day Aspik and her would learn to be as close as her and Chat Noir had been, and while she looked forward to that day, she also didn’t want him to replace her feline partner.

She supposed, at this point in time there was really no choice.

Seemingly as if he had been summoned by her, Aspik landed behind her, staring down at Mr. Pigeon as he copied her pose.

_‘Speak of the devil.’_ The Chat-voice playfully grumbled.

_Shut up._ Ladybug mentally snarled, shaking her head.

Aspik didn’t notice the distraught look on her face, too occupied with focusing on Mr. Pigeon, probably plotting a plan of attack.

“Mr. Pigeon is a pretty simple akuma, so we can use him for training.” Ladybug instructed, waving her hand busily toward the akuma.

She missed the annoyed look crossing Aspik’s face for half a second, his gaze flickering over to her. In his mind, he didn’t need practice. He had been a hero for a year and a half, even if she was not aware of it.

“Let’s practice the art of the surprise attack.” Ladybug decided, tilting her head to where Mr. Pigeon was strutting to and fro, cooing more then was probably necessary.

_‘You know what would be a sur-purr-ise , dear Bugaboo? Is if you fell for me suddenly!!’_ Chat’s voice in her head was so strong that she, once again, nearly believe him to be crouched beside her in Aspik’s spot.

She turned to Aspik, almost trusting him to say what Chat Noir would normally say, but, of course, he only gave a curt nod.

“You go from the left; I go from the right.” The original duo always went in the same direction; Ladybug going right and Chat Noir going left. It was almost tradition.

Aspik obeyed almost instantly, cutting sharply to the left, traveling easily across the rooftops almost as if he was used to it, contrary to what Ladybug expected him to do; she still assumed him to act just like Chat Noir, guessing that he would stall while making flirtatious comments.

But, off course, he was not Chat Noir. He was Aspik, more focused on the job on hand then flirting. Of course, Chat Noir could focus on the job when he wanted to; and he was always prepared to work quickly and easily if need be, but he preferred teasing her to missions.

She could once again hear Chat’s voice, right on time, whispered in her mind. _‘Oh, why am I always the one to go left? I know you’re usually in the right, but this is a tad ridiculous, M’lady.’_

_Focus Kitty, the sooner we do this, the sooner we get to go on with our personal lives._ She must be crazy, having an internal conversation with herself.

_‘Yeah, I guess you’re right…we’d better do the mission’_ Disappointment. _‘And get it over with.’_

_Are you okay?_

“Are you okay?” Her thoughts were voiced aloud, causing her to jump. After a minute of needing to focus on the teen hero before her, Ladybug had to wonder when Aspik circled back around to face her. “

Ladybug stared up at him for a second, blinking a few times. “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Ladybug assured him, trying to smile as cheerfully as Chat Noir always did. She wondered if his playful grins were as fake as hers was. Probably not. It was near impossible to stay that fake happy as much as he did. Ladybug shook off the haunting thought, nodding at Aspik. “Let’s do this.”

The suspicious look Aspik regarded her with was probably deserved, sent to her seconds before he pivoted and bounded for a second time to the left.

Ladybug did the same toward the right, stopping by a chimney.

Ladybug and Aspik – from where he sat perched beside a gargoyle – exchanged a look, knowingly nodding.

Aspik produced his harp, and Ladybug wondered when he learned to read minds.

…she wondered if it was a snake power.

She remembered, once, from a previous lesson from Master Fu, that the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous had three bonus powers to creation and destruction, and while Ladybug knew hers – purifying akumas and the Miraculous Cure – she had no clue what Chat Noir’s was. She once questioned him on the topic, and he instantly drew a blank, staring into nothing. After ten seconds of dully gazing into the abyss, he responded with ‘We have what?!’ After asking Master Fu why Chat didn’t know his own powers, Master Fu responded that no cat holder knew the powers. They were too dangerous, and…well, frankly, it was Plagg’s decision to tell people them, and he never told any of his chosen holder, except for one who had accidentally destroyed most potato planets in Ireland until Tikki’s chosen was able to get it under control.

Plagg and Master Fu both refused to tell Marinette what these powers were. Mysterious.

The next five down, consisting of the Butterfly, Turtle, Fox, Peacock, and Bee Miraculous only were gifted with an additional single power, the Butterfly’s being mind-linking, the Peacock being able to fulfill three wishes – bordered with the traditional rules about no falling in love or bringing people to life – Bee was able to trigger a shock wave that paralyzed all in its path, Fox’s was that they could create a tangible copy of themselves, and Turtle’s was to heal injuries.

All bonus powers were for the more experienced – seeing as how they required more energy and could be exceedingly dangerous in the wrong hands – but their use was unlimited. Ladybug’s was one of the few that did not require energy to keep them running or experience; she could simply do them in one go.

At least, that’s how it was with two of hers. The third, the one she never needed to use because she always had help, had the power to create an immanent person, living and moving.

The Zodiac Miraculouses lacked extra powers, so, of course, snake, which was in the third category – did not have such powers.

So, of course, Aspik was unable to read her mind, but he seemed to be able to guess her intents rather easily.

_‘Bugaboo!! I’m offended; you’re saying that like he’s the only person with such a unique ability.’_

Right. Chat Noir had also been able to guess, but that had been taken from months of them familiarizing themselves with each other, trusting each other, learning how the other worked. Such a mental connection should not be formed so quickly, so Ladybug just supposed that Aspik’s sudden key-into her plan was simply luck.

Or Soulmates.

Ladybug shook the thought from her mind, raising her head to stare at Aspik once again.

Seeing that he was awaiting some form of response from her, mask twisted as he tried to make his raised eyebrow obvious, but pretty much failed, fingers poised over the correct cords.

Ladybug nodded at him, silently prompting him to transform as she smirked inwardly at the persistent Chat-voice in her head. _HE doesn’t stall. He gets things done. You could learn from him._

_‘Forgive me for trying to make our job easier and trying to make you relaxed!!’_ Chat’s voice complained, and Ladybug could practically see his pout, the huge eyes he would be giving her if he was sentient and not some fragment of her mind. She wished he was here, now. Helping her train every hero. He had with every single one before, until now. For crying out loud, he had been the one to mostly take charge of Queen Bee, insisting that it would be good training for them both.

She wished he was here now; even hiding out of sight but still there would be better then being completely gone. She wished she could actually talk to him, and…oh. Aspik was a pigeon now.

Sometime during her inner-monologuing, Aspik had played the tune and transformed into one of the pesky birds, the only way to tell the difference between he and the other two-thousand pigeons was the Snake Miraculous clutched tightly between his tiny little claws, and his cooing sounded…off. Other then those tell-tale signs, Ladybug was sure she would have mistaken him for the others.

Aspik turned his head to stare at her sideways, tilting his head a bit to properly look at her, due to his eyes being centered on either side of his head.

Ladybug smiled at him, inwardly pondering how he looked so cute even as a bird. She wondered if his allergies had traveled with him into this form. It’d be interesting if they did…and they’d know never to use this tactic again.

Ladybug rapidly signed to him, waving her arms around in an effort to make him understand. Fly down, shift back, attack. She hoped he understood.

Chat Noir had never understood her wild gestures during Silencer – admittedly she had always sucked at charades – and so she realized if he didn’t understand, perhaps nobody would. After all, they were best friends and if he hadn’t gotten it, perhaps nobody did. Then again, that was a few months ago, so perhaps she had improved with signing.

Because Aspik immediately obeyed, diving for the crowd and disappearing into the masses with ease.

Ladybug circled around to a better vantage point, keeping her gaze glued to Mr. Pigeon, who was now singing for her to show herself at the top of his lungs, waving his hands around with pizzazz. She walked along the rooftops, edging as close as she could get to the pigeon-overlord without being seen.

“Ladybug, my dear!! Hand over your Miraculous to my dear pigeons or face my wrath!” He cooed, walking up and down the platform his pigeons formed, humming a tune to himself.

Mr. Ramier should have listened to Chat Noir and just kept the stupid rat as his new favorite. Then he wouldn’t be akumatized again. She had heard that being akumatized hurt the victim, that for a moment everything is covered in pain and darkness, and then it was if they fell asleep for a time, feeling nothing, until they woke up as light and happy as could be. That’s what she had heard, anyway. From Alya. From Nino. From her father. From Kim. From Rose. From…the entire class, really. All had complained and mentioned the pain they had felt before the akumatization, and how they had all accepted it, because, surely, it was only mild pain to what they would feel if they were left to wallow in their misery.

Did Chat Noir feel that pain? Did Chat accept because he guessed the suffering he had felt previously was more significant compared to having your mind controlled, of having it twisted?

Everyone she knew had complained about the momentary pain they had felt; even Chloe, even Rena and Carapace. All had admitted that it ached to be akumatized.

All except Chat Noir. Did he feel pain? Did he not mention it because, in words he had used before after a particularly terrible fight, ‘it’s nothing compared to other amounts of pain others have felt’?

Or perhaps it never came up.

Chat Blanc had hesitated before attacking her when she first showed up, freezing before taking a step back. Then the purple mask had appeared, and he bent over for a half second before wildly attacking her.

Perhaps he was hurt during it. Perhaps he had just ignored the signs of pain and had just muscled through it.

Stupid cat.

And stupid Pigeon. He should really just tell Hawkmoth ‘no’ or something. This was the twenty-sixth time; which meant he had gone through the temporary-agony twenty-six times. She really hoped he didn’t; maybe it was just the first time that it happened.

She didn’t know.

Ladybug scolded herself tiredly, forcing herself to pay attention to Mr. Pigeon. He was still strutting back and forth, flapping his wings like an obvious dork. Ladybug almost wanted to slap him just by watching it.

_‘Aspik should have attacked by now…’_ Chat’s voice divulged, clicking his tongue in annoyance. _‘Incompetent.’_

_He is not!! Just give him a minute, and—_

As if her words had summoned it to be so, Aspik appeared out of nowhere – nowhere actually being one of the group of pigeons flying above Mr. Pigeon – and tackled him, frantically trying to grab the whistle off of the man’s neck; which was always the object that was akumatized.

That’s my cue. Ladybug jumped down beside them, trying to ignore the sudden sneezing fit that overtook Aspik’s body – so much like Chat, it was so cute!! – or the gathering herd of pigeons, all cooing their heads off as they nosily flapped around her, threatening to attack the two heroes.

“What’s this?” Mr. Pigeon wondered aloud, coughing as Aspik accidently pulled too hard on the whistle’s string for a minute. “Ladybug, have you gotten yourself a new friend?”

Ladybug grunted in response punching a pigeon as it dive-bombed towards her. “Down, Jacques!!”

At her obviously-superior-yet-stupid naming skills, Aspik sent her a miffed-look that practically radiated with the word “Chat”, yet he still managed to get a foot pressed against Mr. Pigeon’s free hand.

At last, Aspik was able to push Mr. Pigeon’s slender fingers off of the necklace, grunting in effort as he pulled it off. A quick flick of the wrist, and the akumatized object was suddenly in Ladybug’s hand, on the ground in the next second, and crushed by her foot just a millisecond later.

A black butterfly pulled itself from the broken whistle, frantically flying up to get away, but Ladybug was quick enough to lash out her yo-yo and easily catch it before it got too far.

Sometime during her catching it, Aspik had stopped wrestling with the frozen Mr. Pigeon, hurriedly climbing to his feet as he wiped off the dirt that had become attached to his suit sometime during his struggle.

_He’s so cute!!_ Ladybug inwardly cheered, forcing herself to push the button that would release the butterfly.

Once, when she had forgotten to release the akuma before transforming back, she had received a near-heart attack when opening her purse and finding a half-purified-half-corrupted butterfly burst from it.

Cue transforming to properly purify it.

Cue her chasing it through the streets, because butterflies fly a lot faster than one might thing.

Cue Chat Noir, who had stuck around to tend to those traumatized by the akuma – as he often did – taking a video of her chasing the akuma as she shouted threats after it and demanding it come to her right away without lifting a paw to help, because where was the fun in that?

Cue him later showing her the video and laughing as she ordered him to delete it.

Cue him telling her he only would if she gave him a kiss.

Cue her refusing.

Cue it showing up on the internet five minutes later by an anonymous YouTuber.

Cue it being deleted almost instantly and the YouTuber suddenly appearing on Tumblr and posting a picture of Chat Noir trying to flee Ladybug’s fury.

Cue Chat Noir with a sprained pretty-much-everything. (The next day Adrien appeared in school with the same bruises Chat Noir had gotten. Cue Marinette asking him repeatedly if he was okay and being plain confused how he got so hurt.)

Cue Ladybug swearing to remember to always – always – release an akuma before transforming back.

Cue her being thankful she had remembered this time; she did not want a repeat of what had happened that day to happen again.

Ladybug watched the white butterfly soar into the sky, before turning her attention to Aspik, who was, by now, helping Mr. Ramier to his feet, nodding to the older man.

She hadn’t called upon her Lucky Charm, because she knew she never needed it with Mr. Pigeon, except with the flocks of Pigeons still clustered together in large flocks awaiting their master’s orders, but those would break up in time. (Until nightfall at most.)

Mr. Ramier stared at Aspik for a moment, then switched his gaze over to Ladybug. Then back to Aspik. “Are you Chat Noir’s replacement?”

“Wow.” Aspik tossed his hands up in the air, casting Ladybug an exasperated look. “People are really wanting him to be replaced, that that’s literally their first guess.”

“But it’s true, right?” Ladybug shrugged, turning back to Mr. Ramier. “Yes, but only a temporary one. This is Aspik.”

“Welcome, Aspik, to the hero leagues!!” Mr. Ramier greeted him, shaking his hand fervently. “You are a fine one to replace the former hero; I’ll bet you like Pigeons don’t you?”

A desperate look was sent from Aspik to Ladybug but was only returned by an amused grin.

“Now, how about some more Ice Cream? You know, Aspik, it was a tradition between Ladybug, Chat Noir, and I!! But now that the White-Plague is now removed, it can be between the new duo and I!!”

Aspik’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. Ladybug wondered why on earth he seemed so uncomfortable; it was just ice-cream. And she knew for a fact that he didn’t have any of the normal strict-diets most models had, given freedom to eat whatever he pleased. However, he was still trusted to maintain a mostly healthy diet.

Maybe it had to do with Chat Noir/Blanc being shunned. Being accused. She doubted it; he seemed pretty neutral about the whole thing and didn’t like provoking others. But when given the chance, he would defend Chat.

So, she doubted it was Chat Noir being mentioned.

He was probably acting so flabbergasted about the ice-cream.

Now that Ladybug thought about it, his reaction mirrored Chat’s; both hesitated, looking for all the world doubtful of taking the treat. Sometimes Chat Noir even made an excuse why he had to go; even when he had plenty of time left. Once in a while, when he stayed around, he would refuse the treat and just sit in talk. While Ladybug was curious, she never questioned him on the matter, believing it to be family business or such.

Aspik even checked his bracelet in the same fashion that Chat Noir used to check. He sighed a bit, nodding. “Yeah, we’ve got a few minutes.”

Just like Chat.

_‘What’s like me?’_

_You’re literally part of my mind!! How are you so oblivious to what’s going on around me?_

_‘…’_

“Excellent!! Follow me!!” Mr. Ramier strutted away, just like a Pigeon, a happy, content expression plastered on his face.

Aspik sent her a desperate look, arching an eyebrow curiously.

She shrugged helplessly, admiring how similarly his pleading expression was to Chat’s. “There’s no escape to this. Com’n, let’s go get that ice cream.”


	15. Count On You (Big Time Rush)

Mr. Ramier handed the two of them an ice cream each, a cheery smile on his face. "Thank you so much, you two! It always makes Paris and I feel so safe to know there's superheroes around!"

Ladybug and Aspik followed him over to the nearest bench, exchanging a shrug. Aspik shrugged his shoulders the same way Chat did.

"I'm sorry for being akumatized again," Mr. Ramier addressed Ladybug, lowering his head in defeat. "But my pigeons…"

"Did choosing a new animal not work for you?" Ladybug asked suspiciously, clutching her ice cream tighter. She already knew what his answer - or, rather, lack of one - would be.

Sure enough, his pace slowed considerately as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, all without saying anything.

A sigh escaped her, not at all hidden nor was it resisted, but Ladybug did feel a tad bit guilty when Mr. Ramier hunched his shoulders a bit more, staring down at his feet awkwardly.

"Hey," Aspik said, drawing both of their attentions towards him. "This ice-cream supposedly ties two loves together, right?"

Adrien knew that in real life. He wouldn't stop talking about it for a week straight once, insisting he'd find his soulmate if it's the last thing he did!! While he told Nino, neither Marinette nor Alya found out what his flavors were.

Aspik was trying - and succeeding - to distract them from going toe-to-toe, and Ladybug was half-annoyed, half grateful. Mr. Ramier, a pacifist at heart, looked beyond relieved, his shoulders relaxing several inches.

"Indeed! In fact; two weeks ago, I met a stunning girl who looked just like how my ice-cream described she'd be! Andre is absolutely magical."

"That's incredible!! Are you two dating now?"

"Only time will tell." Mr. Ramier shrugged, smiling down at his scoops.

Aspik leaned forward, offering Ladybug a huge grin, akin to Chat's.

She was hardly surprised, anymore. The two were practically the same person.

_…And if they were?_

_Preposterous. Absolutely not._

But they were both such dorks, their identical huge smiles were only proof of that.

Aspik lifted up his ice cream in s silent toast, the flavors already melting together.

They matched Chat Noir's flavors, strawberry with chocolate chips, blueberry, blackberry. Ladybug had refused to admit what they might entail for Chat Noir when he mentioned it with a smug smile, but she couldn’t ignore the way her heart squeezed when seeing Aspik’s flavors all lined up. Honestly, she was too eager for them to be soulmates; she’d take any chance she could get.

Poor Chat.

_‘Poor Chat, indeed.’_

She rolled her eyes at the thought of Chat pouting, his big green eyes staring up at her hopefully.

To take her mind off of her former partner, Ladybug slowly began eating away at her cone, watching Aspik trying to figure out how to put it in his mouth.

Aspik looked like he wanted to shove the whole cone in his mouth, but also wanted to lick it daintily.

It was very conflicting thing to see; him biting his lip, opening his mouth wide, biting his lip, opening his mouth wide, repeat.

He looked just like Chat Noir his first time; like a confused fish.

Finally, he settled on eating the first scoop in a single bite, actually managing to make it look polite and that’s how you were supposed to eat ice cream.

He managed to do the same for his second and third scoop, and then finished the entire cone by shoving to completely in his mouth, no longer looking in the least bit decent.

How he didn’t have brain freeze at this point would have been a mystery if Ladybug hadn’t once asked Chat Noir how he devoured his ice cream in ten seconds without getting the infamous headache. He had paused for three minutes, then admitted he had never gotten brainfreeze, and didn’t expect to. Some people simply did not get it, and he was one of them.

And apparently Aspik was one of them, too, seeing as how he could eat every scoop within seconds, not even pausing after devouring the third and largest one.

It was always weird watching someone eat an ice cream cone so fast without pausing.

Ladybug glanced down at her own cone; she had begun nibbling at it the moment she had received it, and it was now down to the cone. (Which she didn’t really care for. It was handy to hold the ice cream, but it had always tasted more like crunchy-cracker-like-cardboard to her.)

"How did you enjoy your ice cream?" Mr. Ramier asked, breaking the silence as he addressed Aspik.

"Oh, it's very good. Thank you, Mr. Ramier." Aspik politely returned, nodding his head as a small grin pulled at his lips.

The pigeon-obsessed man smiled back, before twisting his head to look at Ladybug. "Such a polite young man. Almost as polite as Chat Noir."

Ladybug almost laughed. If she had to list ten words to describe her partner, 'polite' would not be one of them.

However, now that she thought about it, when dealing with the older generation, he was shockingly calm and collected, speaking to them with great respect. Her kitty had been very polite. Funny that she hadn't noticed until now.

Ladybug was able to hold back her giggles with the realization, putting on her serious mask and stiffly nodding at Mr. Ramier. She honestly was racking her brain for a good response, when Mr. Ramier changed the subject.

"I'm sorry for being re-akumatized. Again." Mr. Ramier lamented. "I really do want to heed Chat Noir's advice, but nowadays…"

"-it's hard to do your own thing when everyone else's wishes are different. You want to go with the crowd, but you also have your own opinion. It's a Stale Mate." Aspik finished, cocking his head to properly look at Mr. Ramier.

Mr. Ramier smiled back down at him, and the three of them settled into comfortable silence.

That is until Aspik's bracelet blinked three times, beeping simultaneously.

"Oh, I should probably be heading away to detransform." Aspik blinked, standing up. "Thank you for the ice cream, Mr. Ramier."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Ramier." Ladybug echoed simply, offering him one last nod.

Mr. Ramier smiled at her in return, then beamed at Aspik. "You'll make a fine replacement for Chat Noir. I hope to see you again so we can get more ice cream!"

Aspik laughed at that, shaking his head. "We'll see, sir! Have a good day, and good luck with that woman!"

"Thank you!" Mr. Ramier returned, smiling after them as they left.

Ladybug led the way; down the street, super-jump to the top of the nearest building, run across the rooftops for five blocks, slip back down to ground level amidst a deserted street.

"I can't believe Mr. Ramier!" Ladybug exploded almost instantly, not noticing Aspik's flinch at her sudden outburst. "He's just like the rest of the town; hating on Chat Noir! It wasn't his stupid fault! It was all Hawkmoth! But nooo, it's all his for being upset! And he just-"

"Woah." Aspik rested his hand on her shoulder, silencing her. "It's okay. People will be people. And frankly, people are idiotic."

Ladybug inwardly fumed, preparing herself to lash out, but her teal partner wasn't done yet.

"Listen, Mr. Ramier is just trying to follow the crowd. I'm sure it's already tough for him to feed his pigeons, even though everyone is against the practices. He wants to, but he doesn't want to be more of an outcast then he already is."

Ladybug glared daggers at him, narrowing her eyebrows. "Well, then! The rest of the city should change their minds!"

Aspik grinned at that, mirth in his eyes. "Well, I've got no problem with you busting into the mayor's office and demanding he sign a law making it illegal for people to be against Chat Noir."

Ladybug missed the humor in his tone, crossing her arms. "Believe me, I would if I could. But just…ugh. I hate this stupid city."

"But you still protect it." Aspik shrugged, gazing at her fondly, watching as she grinned in submission, body losing her tension.

That's about when Aspik held out his fist.

And that's about when Ladybug began to panic.

As Marinette, Ladybug never liked doing traditions that started with one person to move onto another. It just…wasn't right.

It began with that person, and it should end with that person.

Ladybug and Chat Noir's pound-it was one such example.

Sure, Ladybug did it with the three temp-heroes on a regular basis and had even once did it with Plagg. But Chat had always been present - or his Kwami had - or he had just left the scene, whenever Ladybug did a pound-it with someone else.

The fist-bump was for Chat Noir.

Not here. With…with Aspik.

So, when Aspik held out his fist, body already twisted to face the direction he would leave, Ladybug froze, hesitation filling her. She…she shouldn't. Couldn't. Not now. Not ever. Not until he came back. If ever.

Seeing her pause, Aspik slowly lowered his outstretched fist, confusion filling his face. "D-did I do something wrong? Ladybug?"

_No, no, no, you did nothing wrong_! Ladybug's mind chanted while her heart twisted. _Don't look so depressed! It doesn't look well on your beautiful, precious face!_

_'Hey! My face is beautiful!'_ Chat's voice complained, but she ignored it in favor of Aspik.

"No, no, you didn't." Ladybug assured the newest hero, eyes darting up to the roof of the nearest building.

"But…?" Aspik prompted, barely relaxing.

"But the pound-it was - is - the ting Chat Noir and I did." Ladybug explained, giving in. "I…I think, if I really want to accept that he's gone… I mean, not my partner right now, I've… we've got to do something else."

"Like what?" There was no angry, snooty tone in his voice, but pure, genuine curiosity. "A phrase-change? High-five instead?"

Ladybug perked up, turning her complete attention to him. "Yes! I-I mean…I…yes. I'd like that."

Ladybug realized, in the back of her mind, that the two of them looked strange, obviously ready to depart but standing in the middle of the street. Their heads were cocked in thought, identical concerned looks plastered across their faces.

At long last, Ladybug held out her hand, smiling gently. "Well played?"

Aspik blinked at her hand for a second, a wide grin spreading across his face. His expression was contagious, as Ladybug found herself copying his smile.

"Well played!" He returned, high fiving her back.

Ladybug remembered Chat Noir and she hadn't even needed to think about the phrase "Pound it" before they said it; almost like second nature. Sure, everything else that fit together in harmony had come with time, but that was a sign that they were meant to work together perfectly.

Master Fu had told her multiple times that the reason she and Chat Noir were so linked was in part due to, not only having the Cat and Bug Miraculous, but also due to their destiny to be partners.

She and Chat Noir were supposed to be partners, and their Miraculous only added to that, being yin-yang, fusing them together more closely. In theory, they were supposed to be best friends, an unstoppable duo. But they were given the choice to be a couple; they were not forced to be together. For this, Ladybug was grateful.

Still, she was so used to Chat Noir and her having such a deep bond, months of practice or no, that Aspik not instantly pulling a new phrase out of the hat at the same time as she had her heart leap in worry before she reminded herself that things were different now. She had a new partner. She had Aspik.

With that thought in mind, Ladybug grinned at him, sharing a quick nod before they both pivoted and fled the scene.

They left so rapidly that Ladybug missed Aspik fiddle longingly with his ring.


	16. Master Fu Interlude

The more Master Fu watched, the more he wanted to laugh.

Aspik was so obviously Chat Noir, and everyone was oblivious! Even Ladybug, the very one who choose to give Adrien a new Miraculous. The entirety of Paris were fools. Utter fools. And it was hysterical.

Though he wanted to laugh, Master Fu also desired to screech at the entirety of Paris.

It was…tempting, honestly. To just march into the middle of the street and scream that Aspik _was_ Chat Noir, and they better end this love decagon or whatever shape it was before he lost his mind.

Oh, it was so, so tempting.

_But,_ Master Fu had to remind himself, _that's against your training._

The urge was strong, though. He would love to hunt them down, then force them to go on a date underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Not permitted, but he greatly desired to do so.

"Master?" Wayzz asked, draping himself over the back of the chair in Master Fu's inn room. "You're thinking about ways to make them go on a… 'blind date', correct?"

"You know me too well." Master Fu sighed, shaking his head as he tapped the cane he didn't need against the carpeted floor. "Shame I'm not allowed to do so, aye, Wayzz?"

"Indeed." His Kwami agreed, shaking his small, green head. "Frustrating, if I do say so myself. Never have I seen such oblivious holders before. Nothing would make me happier than to see this whole dilemma cleared up."

"Rules or no, it would be quite easy to set them up." Master Fu said, flapping his hand effortlessly. "Very, very easy, in fact."

"That would be quite…entertaining to watch." Wayzz agreed, smiling as he shook his head. "Of course, the boundaries state they may not know."

Master Fu nodded at that, moving over to the small desk over at the corner of the room. He pulled the chair from underneath Wayzz's still form, though the Guardian of Protection hardly noticed it, phasing through the wood and staying in the same position without even realigning himself.

Master Fu sat down in the chair, humming thoughtfully to himself as he pulled out his tablet and began doing his daily routine of trying to decipher the coded writing as he flipped through it.

"I wish I could help." Said Wayzz as he turned around pointedly, only now turning right-side-up. "It would make things much easier."

A power of the Kwamis. They could instantly learn any language they set their eyes on.

"It would, but it's dangerous if Hawkmoth ever got his hands on you."

An ability of the Holders who held the Miraculous. They could extract any information from their Kwamis with a snap of their fingers or shut them up just as quickly.

Master Fu had never used this ability for evil, and he knew Marinette and Adrien would never _ever_ mistreat their Kwamis and such. He couldn't imagine what pain Nooroo and Dusuu were going through, however. Or rather, went through. Hawkmoth had already had a year and a half to pry information from them.

The ability wasn't actually supposed to be available; a design flaw in the Miraculous that the mage had accidentally created. So much for all powerful entities; now their human companions were just as bad.

Master Fu clicked his tongue in thought, glancing out the far window of his room. It was beginning to rain quite a bit outside – it _was_ Spring after all – the droplets landing lightly on his window.

Master Fu stood from his chair, making his way to the glass paneling. Peering out, he rested his hand against the transparent solid, sighing to nothing in particular.

He always loved rain, it seemed to represent new beginnings and always began new, fresh points of view. When he was younger and not so prone to catching colds, he would stand in the middle of the nearest street and let the water run across his face. It cleared his mind, allowed him to think about things with any distractions. It also allowed him a way to cry without being caught, most people presuming that the tears were just rain droplets.

He used to sob a lot after Marianne stayed behind and he left, used to remember her smile with such fondness. They were still in contact through email – modern devices really did allow such privacy and didn't bring such a risk of being apprehended – but it was hard not to be with her. It had been for nearly a century and wasn't going to stop now.

If he was being completely honest, Marinette reminded him of Marianne. When they had first met, when she set about dragging him out of the way of the car, she had done so in the very same fashion Marianne had when she pulled him out of the way of an automobile that was moving much too fast for such an invention.

They had tripped the same way, though Marianne had seemed quite offended that she had 'been practically _forced_ to save him', her words, not his.

Perhaps he had chosen Marinette because she had seemed so close to Marianne. Yes, he had sensed a powerful, determined energy about the heroine upon that first meeting, but he also hadn't wanted to recruit a mere child, didn't want to make the same mistake the first Guardians had. She had seemed too much like Marianne to just…ignore, however, so he allowed her a chance, keeping a careful eye on her.

The first failure almost drove him to take back the Miraculous, regretting letting someone without proper experience handle it, but she made a rebound before he could reach a proper decision, showing charisma only the most elite had.

So, he allowed her to be.

It was for a different reason that he chose Adrien, another teenager, to be a Miraculous holder; he showed compassion, sacrificed his own chances to go to school for an elderly man. He had moved to Master Fu with speed the Guardian had never seen before, reaching his side in a matter of seconds and helping him up.

A simple act, to be sure, but a Black Cat did not need to be intelligent.

No, they only needed to be devoted to the Ladybug, to protect the scarlet beetle, to understand that the insect was more important than they, that only they could save the day when up against a Butterfly and a Peacock holder.

This loyalty could only be seen in someone single and close to her age. If it had been a teenager heroine and a forty-year-old man, well…yes, that would not have worked out whatsoever.

Nearly identical ages were best; in some instances, twins were called upon to be Ladybug and Chat Noir. (It made things…interesting when they didn't recognize one another. So much for the maxim Twins have mental links.)

In the end, it turned out to be best that Marinette and Adrien were so young; despite being inexperienced, they were a wonderful match, a perfect pair. Where Marinette lacked in martial arts, Adrien contained a large mental binder full of protective tactics and useful skills. When Adrien was clueless worldly-wise and with social skills, Marinette balanced him out beautifully.

She came up with crazy, surreal plans, and he was straight-forward. She saw most of the angles, looked at it from multiple perspectives. He helped her see the more obvious plans she tended to ignore. A perfect yin-yang.

A wise choice, if he did say so himself, even if it started as a mistake. He also understood now why most holders started out as children; they were able to learn to be responsible with their limited abilities until they got a flood of unlimited powers.

As his Guardian mentor used to say; Children need maturity before they became adults. Which, in terms of Miraculous, meant that they needed training and responsibility until they were able to become full-fledged Holders.

Wayzz floated up beside Master Fu, following his gaze into the darkness. "What are you thinking about, Master?"

Master Fu spared him a small smile. "Just about my training, and how Marinette and Adrien were such wonderful choices."

"Despite being oblivious?" Wayzz tempted, smiling slyly in a very Trixx-way. "Because that appears to be their main trait, all things considering."

"Even with being oblivious." Master Fu smiled back, cocking his head fondly as he patted his Kwami. "While I admit, it can be bothersome occasionally, it has its moments of being quite intriguing. It will be interesting when they at long last reveal, hopefully after Hawkmoth is defeated. I shall enjoy their reactions immensely and can only wish that Ladybug will not be too perturbed by his decision to keep both the Snake and Black Cat Miraculous. I pray that she will take it all smoothly."

"Do you believe she won't?"

"I am not sure. She may love him, but love doesn't block the feeling of betrayal." Master Fu shrugged, waving his hand. "I hope she won't be bitter, but it's hard to tell with females."

Wayzz, well versed in the ways of humans, nodded in understanding. "Indeed. Females – especially humans – are strange, fickle beings."

Master Fu laughed at that, shaking his head. "That, my friend, we agree on."

The two lapsed into silence, Wayzz floating onto his shoulder and resting against Master Fu's shoulder.

Master Fu was quiet for a long while, stroking Wayzz's small head while pressing the other hand against the windowpane as the rain hammered down.

Honestly, while he loved rain, felt like it symbolized new beginnings, new beginnings didn't necessarily mean happiness. Rain was most often associated in sorrow and sadness, and for good reason to.

As he looked at this particular rainstorm, he knew that something was going to happen, something that, though it may signal a new beginning, would not be a happy one, especially not for Marinette. Fear clenched at his heart, and he wondered what he could do.


	17. La Dee Da (Cody Simpson)

If anybody had asked Aspik why he had done it, he would simply had responded that he had forever wanted to do it and had just been caught up in the moment.

Most males in the city would’ve nodded and said they couldn’t blame him. The females would have just begun telling all their friends about it.

If Ladybug would have asked, well, he would have confessed to everything right away, being Chat Noir, loving her for an eternity, still would even if she hated him for basically lying to her, keeping his identity. Apologize ten times over.

What exactly had happened that led to that moment?

Well, two days after Mr. Pigeon a young girl, Fawn, had been akumatized into Heartstrings. Her reasonings? Her favorite show had ended without her favorite ship becoming cannon, and she had instantly gone anti, hating on the show with all her heart. Her anger was great enough for Hawkmoth to akumatize her into a villain bent on making her ships cannon.

In hindsight? In every way the weirdest akuma ever. Aspik doubted she even deserved the title of “Fan”.

Aspik’s power was not needed to beat the akuma, and Ladybug’s lucky charm was not needed either, but she summoned it anyway so she could reverse the damage afterwards.

After she tossed it in the air, turning to him with a confident grin, holding her fist out, paused, then switched it to a high-five, he approached her, resisting the temptation to return her celebratory ‘well played’. In favor of doing as such, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up in the air.

She flinched in surprise at the motion, eyes widening as he landed a kiss on her cheek. She froze nearly instantly, mouth dropping into a gape.

Aspik set her down, gut curling in nervousness.

_Why? Why did I do that?_ He cursed, mentally kicking himself. _She doesn’t like Chat Noir, so why would she love Adrien? Love Aspik?_

“Why’d you…do you…” Ladybug spluttered, her cheeks a dark pink as she blushed. “I…I love…I…”

“I’m sorry!” Aspik blurted, taking a step back. “I’m…I’m sorry. It’s…I’m in love with you, Ladybug, and…I just… I shouldn’t have…”

“You…” Ladybug took as step forward; her eyebrows furrowed in worry. “But…I…I love you too. I thought you…I…we…”

“You do?” Aspik raised his head from his hands, where he had burrowed it two seconds previously. “But…that means…” _She rejected Chat Noir for Adrien. That’s… Oh. Everything just…liked…tripled in the puzzling criteria._

“I…yes. I do…and I…I really do.” Ladybug nodded vigorously, sapphire eyes staring up at him. “And you…me?”

“I really do.” Aspik responded, taking several steps forward so they weren’t even a foot apart. “If…if we do… will …will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

Ladybug’s face darkened even more shades, smiling into his jade gaze. “I…yes! Oh, yes!”

Aspik grinned at her, arms outstretched, silently celebrating as she closed the short distance between them, burying her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Aspik laid his head down in her hair, and the two stayed safely nestled together for several minutes.

All too soon, Ladybug’s earrings beeped, giving their fourth warning, and the two pulled back, blushing profusely.

“Well… um… I guess I need to…get going, huh?” Ladybug hummed, rubbing her arm. “I’ll see you around.”

“Um… yeah.” Aspik agreed, smiling awkwardly.

She grinned, readying her yo-yo, and swung away.

Aspik watched her go, brightly gazing after her.

He felt Plagg nudge his pocket, trying to get out. Aspik rolled his eyes, laying his hand against the pocket protectively. “Plagg, stay.” He murmured. “We can talk when I get home.”

Plagg mumbled something through the material, but Aspik ignored him, pivoting to head back to the Agreste Mansion.

He was readying to jump off the roof, when he heard a door open behind him; most likely the entrance to the stairs that led to the apartment complex to where he stood on the roof.

Humming to himself, he turned around to face the newcomer, expecting them to be demanding to know why he was on their roof, or screaming in glee that he was on their roof, or – the traitor part of him that was Chat Noir-based supposed – try to kill him in wrath.

His eyes met with Alya’s, the reporter already holding out her phone. “Aspik! Hey! New guy! Can I snag a quick interview?”

He froze, taking a step back.

This was not her apartment complex; Aspik knew better than that. Hers was almost completely across the city.

“Did you sneak into this building?” Aspik smirked, arching an eyebrow.

“Maybe.” Alya teased, smiling at him over her camera. “I’m supposed to be the one doing the interview, you know. Unless you’re also a fellow journalist…”

“Nice try, Ladyblogger.” Aspik congratulated, crossing his arms. ‘The Ladyblog Girl’ was the name Chat had dubbed her; so, he tried to give her a different title to resist being discovered. “But you’re not getting the truth that easily.”

“Looks like you’ve already gotten the first rule down.” Alya nodded in approval. “Well, if I need any superhero tips, I know where to come.”

_That’s a joke she – er – Rena Rouge and I – um – Chat Noir are supposed to have between us. She’s using it on me! _Aspik’s eyes narrowed, and he felt insulted that she had shared a personal joke that quickly. Who else had she joked about it with? _Meow-ch._

“How long is it planned on you being Ladybug’s partner?” Alya inquired, returning to the interview.

“As long as she needs me.” Aspik said without enthusiasm, frowning at the reporter.

“Are you replacing Chat Noir?” Alya pressed, leaning toward him eagerly.

“Mmm.” Aspik mumbled, doing his best not to answer, not completely sure what to say.

“Wow. You’re curbing your enthusiasm.” Alya noted importantly, blinking. “Are you not excited to work with Ladybug?”

“Oh, I am.” Aspik argued, thankful that their height distance let him look down at her and make him seem more intimidating. “Believe me. However, I do not like the way you are talking down Chat Noir.”

“I am not!” Alya huffed, glaring at him, her gaze sharpened into daggers. “I’m asking questions any other reporter would!”

“I can tell you hate him.” Aspik deadpanned.

“Doesn’t all of Paris?” Alya argued back, scoffing, losing her professional stance. “He killed everyone!”

“Frozer and Stormy Weather killed people through thermal shock. Pharaoh literally made people into zombies.” Aspik growled. “How is that any different?”

“It just is!” Alya returned. “And you know it is, too! Let’s just get back to the interview!”

Aspik hissed at her, taking a step back. “No.”

“What? Why?”

“Ladyblogge- Alya. You can’t act like this. It isn’t right, and until you improve…well, you get the idea. _Au revoir_.” Aspik nodded, taking his place at the very edge of the roof, tilting background.

Alya gasped, taking several urgent steps backward. “Hey! Come back! I’m not done talking to yo –"

Aspik ignored her, flipping his legs underneath him so that he landed on the ground safely, bending his legs in preparation to leap upwards. Another cry from Alya, and that gave him enough motivation to leap up to next building and run along the rooftops as he headed for the Agreste Mansion.

It took way too long for him to reach home, and the entire way Plagg poking at his pocket, trying to get out.

Aspik finally dove into his window, landing on the floor.

He released his transformation, freeing first Plagg then Sass.

Both Kwamis stretched, humming.

“Ha! Ha ha! Ha!” Plagg cheered, laughing. “You did it, kid!”

“I’m not sure what part of it you mean.” Adrien grumbled, collapsing on his bed.

Sass hovered above him, curling around his right wrist protectively, giving him a fanged smile.

“Both of them! You _finally_ got the Ladybug as your girlfriend, and you told off Red!”

“Alya.” Adrien corrected, sighing.

“You realize what this means, right?” Plagg demanded, smirking. “You’re the boy Ladybug likes! She rejected you for you!”

“I’m aware.” Adrien sighed dreamily, grinning at the ceiling. “It’s going to hit me in several minutes, but for now, I think I’ll enjoy it until it does.”

“And with Red! You proved you had a backbone!”

“Alya. And I’ve always had a backbone.” Adrien insisted, glaring at his Kwami.

Sass’s slited eyes stared at him, humming comfortingly. “You wissh to keep people happy, no?”

“Yeah.” Adrien mumbled, turning toward him kindly. “I really do.”

“A wonderful sskill few posssesss.” Sass murmured, closing his eyes as he nuzzled against his wrist. “I’m proud of you.”

“Aw, thanks, Sass.” Adrien smiled, petting Sass’s head gently.

“Hey! What about me? I’m proud too!” Plagg protested, nudging his head against Adrien’s arm like a kitten seeking affection.

“Heh, heh, you just want to cuddle.” Adrien scoffed, pushing Plagg back in distaste.

Plagg whimpered, floating right back up and nudging him. “Remember when you used to pet me? Before Sass came?”

Sass hissed, opening one eye. “Maybe if you were a bit more affectionate…”

“I’m plenty affectionate! Adrien’s the one who’s not!” Plagg glanced longingly at a container of cheese, sighing dreamily. “At least, I’m affectionate to cheese…”

“I’m not ssure how thiss ssubject went from Adrien to cheesse…” Sass grumbled, eyeing a container of camembert that was sitting next to the globe with distaste.

“Okay, okay, you two.” Adrien laughed, pushing Plagg underneath his right hand so he could use his left hand to pet Sass and use his right to scratch Plagg. “Ladies, ladies, you’re both pretty.”

Both of them turned to him indignantly, both protesting as loud as they could.

It took all Adrien had not to laugh as he tried to quiet them down, rolling his eyes fondly at the two of them.

He loved his kwamis and would do everything he could to keep them happy.


	18. Year 3000 (Jonas Brothers

“Yo, Ladybug!” The voice was all too familiar, and all too unwelcome. _Alix._ She thought bitterly, turning with a slight groan.

She swung back over to where Alix had stood, landing before her, arching her eyebrow.

"Can this wait?" Ladybug demanded to know, growling at her menacingly.

"Oh, relax, Ladybug." Alix huffed, shaking her head. "I've been chasing you for a week now; I think you at _least_ can let me speak my mind for, like, thirty seconds."

Ladybug glanced around, growling lightly. The street they were standing on was near deserted; the block was covered with one-bedroom apartments, and it was during the time where people would be at work and any kids would be at school; nobody should be at their homes right now.

Which honestly left the question on why Alix was out of school.

"Fine." Ladybug relented. "I'll be back in two minutes."

"I'll meet you…" Alix glanced around, trying to find an appropriate meeting place. "…in that alley." Alix gestured, pointing to a nearby alleyway.

Ladybug side-lined it, frowning suspiciously. "Alix…" Before she could complain further, her earring let out it's final warning and she squeaked. "I'll be right back. I guess…we can meet up in the alley."

"Perfect." Alix nodded, grinning. "See you in two minutes."

Ladybug grunted, pulling her yo-yo from her thread belt. "Just so you know, I am not looking forward to this."

"Dully noted, ya big cry baby." Alix sniffed in distain, tilting her head. "Now get going."

Ladybug shot her one last scowl, her yo-yo pulling her away to a safe hiding spot.

As she left, she watched as Alix turned and skated toward the alley way, the tomboy reaching into her backpack to withdraw something.

Ladybug landed elegantly on a deserted rooftop, releasing her transformation with the magical words.

Tikki swirled into the air, stretching. "Good job, Marinette!" She congratulated, beaming. "You and Aspik are really learning to become good partners!"

"Thanks." Marinette mumbled half-heartedly, fishing a macaroon out of her pocket and hanging it to her Kwami.

"Oh, Marinette." Tikki sighed, putting down her treat to nuzzle her chosen's cheek. "What's wrong?"

"It's Alix." Marinette responded, not holding anything back from her Kwami. She knew it was worthless. "I don't trust her."

"Ah." Tikki said softly, tilting her head.

As half of Ladybug, Tikki experienced almost everything Marinette did while in costume, only not seeing a few things. Judging by her expression, she had already known about Ladybug's encounter with Alix.

Tikki floated back to the pastry, taking it back into her hands as she watched Marinette preparing to speak.

“There’s something about her that just…ticks me off.” Marinette confessed, pressing the palms of her hands to her eyelids, lowering herself into a sitting position as she leaned her head back. “Something that makes me uneasy.”

“Marinette.” Tikki schooled a serious expression, taking a huge bite out of the macaron. “She’s more fun loving then you are; she has no rules in her life. Remember what you’ve told me? Her father didn’t approve of her dying her hair or of her ‘street art’. And he certainly doesn’t like her clothing choice. She’s a rebel. Meanwhile, you’re rule following; you’re, for the most part, an obedient child. Your natures collide violently. You’re too different.” Tikki finished the macaroon with the next mouthful, humming. “But this doesn’t make her a bad person. She’s just… special. In a different way.”

Marinette grinned warmly at her Kwami, cupping Tikki between her hands as she cuddled her against her cheeks. “Thanks, Tikki.”

“You’re welcome, Marinette! Now, are you ready to go meet her?” Tikki asked, smiling merrily.

Marinette took a deep breath, nodding. “Yeah. Let’s go. Tikki, spots on!”

The flash of reddish pink swept across Marinette’s body, leaving Ladybug in her place once again.

Ladybug crossed the buildings back to the alleyway in silence, wishing Chat Noir was beside her.

Chat Noir had been a wonderful diplomat. Before the White Plague, Ladybug had met with a high power of Paris to discuss new ways to deal with akumas, including the bunkers that now sat underneath the streets of Paris; replacing the catacombs. Or rather, built within the walls of the catacombs. During these meetings, Ladybug sometimes lost her temper and yell at her superiors when they made a rash decision, as if they didn’t care for the citizens of Paris.

Chat Noir had not only done a superb job at calming her frazzled nerves, but he had also explained the situation to the Parisian powers, and pointed out how their ideas were just…the worst. He found a way to compromise between the two of them, though Ladybug couldn’t help but notice that he always made her part of the compromise have more benefits then the other. When questioned, he had admitted it was on purpose, for multiple reasons; one of which being that hers made more sense, and another being simply that he loved her.

The latter had earned an eyeroll, but Ladybug had left those meetings cheerful because of him.

If he were here now, maybe he could make the meeting with Alix easier for Ladybug; as she was positive she and Alix would begin arguing to no end.

Ladybug backflipped into the alley where Alix was, landing gracefully behind the tomboy.

Alix ignored her, a spray paint can in her hand. She sprayed one last light blue line against the brick wall, then capped the bottle, smirking at Ladybug.

“Welcome to the alleyway, Ladybug. While I’m putting away the spray paint, why don’t you tell me what this diagram behind me represents?”

Ladybug glared at her, scoffing. “Did you just vandalize an alley way?”

“Hmm? Oh, no, I didn’t do it all just now. I’ve been working on it for a week now.” Alix returned, knowing precisely what Ladybug meant but deciding to mess with her.

“That doesn’t change my point.” Ladybug growled. “You vandalized this.”

“Nobody cares about that.” Alix rolled her eyes, shrugging. “It’s just an alley way where people empty their trash. Besides, I couldn’t show you this very easily with just pen and paper. It’s easier to look at it big. Now, what do you think it is?

Ladybug regarded it closely, frowning.

Through the middle of the drawing was a long black line, seven smaller black lines sprouting from the top of it.

The first black line, the furthest to the left, had a white circle above it, a purple paw print in the middle of the circle.

_Chat Blanc._ Ladybug realized. _The White Plague._

Her eyes traveled right, landing on the next one, which had three circles. Chat Noir’s emblem, with a red ‘x’ through it, Ladybug’s symbol, and a dark aqua circle with a teal ‘T’ through it. _The third has to represent_ _Aspik._ Ladybug thought, glancing over it. Chat Noir’s circle had an aqua ‘X’ through it, and Aspik’s had a white arrow pointing to the ladybug sign.

The third line was only Ladybug and Aspik’s circles side by side.

The fourth had a similar dygogram to that of the second, though this time Chat Noir had an arrow pointing to Ladybug, and Aspik had a black ‘X’ through his.

The fifth and sixth remained blank.

Finally, on the seventh, sat a Ladybug and a Chat Noir symbol, bigger than the others. Beneath them sat Bunnix’s watch.

_It’s a timeline._ Ladybug finally pieced it together, glancing at the numbers below each line.

The first and second had the year ‘2019’ below them. The third and fourth both had question marks, the fifth and sixth had the words ‘Blah-blah’ beneath, and the final one had the numbers ‘2029’.

“Alix, what’s this timeline for?” Ladybug asked, still confused by the diagram, especially the fourth row.

“Well, Minibug, it’s to explain time travel.” Alix said, stuffing the last can into her backpack.

“Alix.” Ladybug stiffened, frowning. “Did you just call me…Minibug?”

“Yep. I’m using Minibug to tell the difference between future Ladybug and yourself. You’re Minibug, and future you is either just plain Ladybug or Megabug depending on how far in the future it is.” Alix clarified, shrugging her shoulders. “Easier that way. Besides, Minibug makes you sound tiny.”

“Exactly why I don’t want you calling me that.” Ladybug grumbled, crossing her arms.

“Oh, get over yourself. I’m about to explain time travel to you, and you’re going to shut up and listen.” Alix commanded, crossing her arms. “Before we get started, let me clear something up. _Chat Noir is not in the wrong here._ One of the reasons I’m saying this is because I killed people too; and if they blame Chat, they have to blame me, and I don’t want to be blamed.”

Ladybug arched an eyebrow, smirking. “Good point. I suppose that should be the same for every death-akuma.”

“It should be, but it’s not. Because Paris are quiznaking idiots.” Alix snarled, punching the wall in anger. “They should all go to Hades for being the stupidest people in the world.”

“On that we agree.” The bluenette relented, standing akimbo.

“For once.” Alix returned, before pivoting to wave at the diagram. “Anyhow, let’s get back to on topic.”

Ladybug shrugged at that, knowing she couldn’t really stop the inevitable. “Proceed.”

“Okay, first of all, let’s go back and recite the latest news. First, you and Chat Noir became a team. A year and a half passed, blah blah blah, and Chat Noir got akumatized. Shortly after, he vanished, and Aspik took his place, so now Chat Noir is out of the picture. We’re here.” Alix pointed to the first row of four question marks on the third line, tapping it.

“I could have told you that.” Ladybug grunted, tone dripping with annoyance and sarcasm.

“Oh, sweet Seklos and Gaylen, Ladybug. Will you let me flicking explain, or else I will spray paint you in the face. Or punch you.” Alix glared. “I’m sure someone of your ranking would be used to that.”

Ladybug growled at that, eyeing Alix angrily.

“Well, now that you’re as angry as a raging Klanmurl, will you please just listen to my explanation?”

“Fine. I’ll _try_ not to interrupt as you explain things that I already know.”

“Ugh. _So _mature.”

Ladybug decided to be the bigger person and not retort.

Alix went silent for a few more seconds, as if confirming that Ladybug wouldn’t speak up again, then pointed to the final diagram. “I’m going to skip from number 3 to 7 really quick. Panel 7 is ten years in the future; about the age my older self was when she time traveled back in time. Well, really it was eight years from then that she came back – she told me as much – but we don’t need to be precise with this. It's just to explain some things.” She paused, fingers brushing against the wall as she tilted her head to look at Ladybug. “This next bit is an observation on you that I made.”

Ladybug waved her on, her curiosity peaked. “Continue.”

“Okay.” Alix took a deep breath, squaring your shoulders. “Ladybug, you’re unstable. When Aspik first joined you, you insisted that he wasn’t replacing Chat Noir; he was just stepping in until Chat returned. For the past week, you’ve been faltering. You hesitate when saying Chat Noir will return.”

Ladybug froze, frowning. Had it really been that obvious?

_‘Apparently it has been, Bugaboo.’_ Chat Noir’s imaginary voice whispered into her mind.

“Okay, you got me.” Ladybug admitted aloud, leaning against the opposite wall as the graffiti. “I’m scared Chat Noir’s gone forever. I don’t want him to be, but…well…okay. Alix, you cannot tell _anyone _about this, okay?”

Alix nodded, silently agreeing.

“He visited me – civilian me – before he disappeared. He didn’t know it was me, though. But… we’re friends. Anyway, when he visited, he told me he’s done. That, because the people of Paris hate him and that’s probably never going to change, it’d be best if he vanished off the map.”

A grin spread across Alix’s face, and she let out a cheer. “This only strengthens my point! Okay, so, you’re afraid he’s never going to come back, right?!”

A blank face from Ladybug.

“Great! Okay, so, in the future, Mega-me came back in time to before Chat Blanc.” Alix explained, pointing to a nonexistent point before the purple paw print. “And then, she mentioned that Chat Noir had damaged her Miraculous at some point.”

“It could be a different Chat Noir.” Ladybug pointed out.

“Ah, ah, ah. I’m not a liar. At least, I wouldn’t lie to myself.” Alix argued. “She made a big point of it being the _same Chat Noir._ Thus, it was the same Chat Noir.”

“Her memories were messed up from spending five thousand years in those Egyptian hieroglyphics.” Ladybug returned.

“_I wouldn’t lie to myself.” _Alix glared, her gaze flashing menacingly. “And I wouldn’t make a mistake that severe. Remember, Bunnix returned to the future to get Mega-Bug and Big-Noir and didn’t tell us she made a mistake about the Chat Noirs when she returned. She let it be.”

“Unless if he looks similar to my Chat Noir.” Ladybug shrugged, giving herself a hug.

“I’m going to just ignore that.” Alix spoke, referring to Ladybug’s placement of ‘my’, quirking an eyebrow. “Now, Ladybug, even if he looks just like Chat, _I_ wouldn’t have mixed him up. His costume probably would have changed if he was different. Especially if everyone was bitter about the old one, it’d be like cursing him to have him wearing the same costume.”

Ladybug just slow blinked at her, unimpressed.

“Ugh. The point is, don’t worry. Chat Noir _will _return one day.”

“Oh.” Ladybug stared, suddenly increasingly impressed. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Ladybug. I’m positive.” Alix promised, pressing a hand over her heat and raising her other palm to head height. “He will come back. I wouldn’t lie about _that,_ adult or not.”

Ladybug felt a slight smile tugging on her lips, nodding. “That’s…”

“It’s a grandfather paradox.” Alix explained before she could get a word in. “We know he’s in the future. If we somehow altered it, so that he wasn’t in the future, we wouldn’t remember him being in the future because how wasn’t.”

“You could have just said that in the first place.” Ladybug sighed sarcastically, even though her smile remained.

“I suppose, but where’s the fun in that?” Alix shrugged, before pausing. “Okay, I admit, that could have gone a lot quicker if I had just gotten out with it.”

“It could have, but…” Ladybug paused, looking at Alix. “Thank…thank you, Alix.”

“No problem, LB.” Alix saluted, beginning to skate backwards out of the alley. “Though, if you want some of my advice, enjoy the time you have now. Don’t let your longing get in the way of you having a good time, yeah?”

“Okay, Alix.” Ladybug agreed. “Yeah. I’ll try.”

Alix smirked, nodding, then was gone.


	19. Emerald Eyes (Anson Seabra)

“That went well!” Tikki chirped, flirting around Marinette’s head as the girl practically collapsed into her chaise.

“I suppose.” Marinette mumbled against the pink fabric, lifting her head only enough to stare at Tikki. “Alix is frustrating, though.”

“How so? I found it quite easy to understand.” Tikki hummed in confusing, blue eyes staring down at her chosen.

“I wish she could have gotten straight to the point.” Marinette grumbled, pulling her pillow into her lap, sighing. “Instead of beating around the bush for so long. Chat Noir will return one day; because Older-Bunnix said so. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t remember because Bunnix wouldn’t have said so. It’s an easy concept, but Alix _had_ to go above and beyond.”

Tikki clicked her tongue in evident frustration at the teenager, landing softly down beside her. “Alix just has a…_different_ way of explaining things. She likes explaining things in greater detail then you, is all.” Marinette cast her Kwami a look, one eyebrow cocked. The guardian of creation forged ahead. “You know, she spent a long time figuring out the timeline. Ever since she met her future self, she’s been doodling different timelines in her sketchbook, trying to figure it out. I’ve read over her shoulder a handful of times during class; it’s honestly quite interesting how often she’s spent thinking about it. After Chat Blanc, she began sketching them even better – and her handwriting became much more legible, too.”

“So…you mean you’ve been reading over her shoulder this whole time?”

“I read over all your classmate’s shoulders!” Tikki piped up, grinning. “Only a few, like Adrien, actually take notes.” She decided to leave out that she hung out the most around Adrien, usually in his shoulder bag to talk to Sass or Plagg. “Most usually doodle. Nathaniel does complete portraits, or complete pages of his comic. And he still gets top-notch grades!”

“You could’ve been telling me the answers to problems this whole time? Or given me valuable leverage over Lila?” Marinette gasped, sitting up as she stared at the red entity.

Tikki giggled, her three fin-like tails on her back quivering with the vibrations. “I could… but that would make you a cheater. And about Lila… Oh, Marinette.” The Guardian of Creation sighed, shaking her head. “You know Lila; she keeps quiet about what her lies. If she even thinks of mentioning them, Nathaniel would hear about it; they are seat mates.” She hummed, still thinking. “All the lies she’s mentioned I heard at the same time as you. I really have nothing to tell you.”

Marinette groaned, leaning back in her chair as she stared at the ceiling, spinning the swivel chair around and around lazily. “Uugh…”

“Marinette…” Tikki began, arching an eyebrow. “I just realized that you spent the last hour not even mentioning how you’re now dating Aspik…ie; _Adrien._ Do you have a fever?”

Marinette jolted, sapphire eyes widening. “Oh. MY. _GOODNESS_!!” She squealed, spinning around toward the ladder leading up to her bed. She dashed for it, scurried up it, slammed her pillow into her face, and began to screech into the flannel fabric.

Tikki watched in amusement, shaking her head. Oh, her poor, poor, forgetful holder. Somehow, Tikki guessed that if it had been her civilian self and Aspik’s civilian version – Adrien, obviously – Marinette would have been less prone to forget. Why this was, Tikki had no idea. Call it a hunch.

She watched Marinette screech into her pillow for a few more hysterical moments, then landed on Marinette’s back, patting her. “There, there, Marinette. You’re doing just fine!”

“Tikkiii…” Marinette whined, pulling her face from the fabric to stare at the red blob. “How did I forget? I don’t think I even thought of it while Alix was talking. I didn’t even think of it until now! How, how did I forget?”

“You got caught up in other things.” Tikki shrugged, glancing around. “Though it looks like now you have all the time in the world to scream your head off. Just remember to only do it into the pillow; your parents might hear and panic.

Marinette inhaled sharply, shaking her head as she shuddered. “Tikki! Adrien – Aspik!! – and I are _dating!_ I didn’t think we’d ever reach this far! And I certainly didn’t think he’d be the one to ask _me_ out!! Does this mean-?? _No!_ It can’t be!”

Marinette grabbed the case that held her diary, throwing open the top of the case as she reached in. Before she could blink, the lid slammed down on her hand, and she groaned, looking around urgently for the key. “Tikki!” She called urgently, and her kwami zipped over to the desk and picked up the key, returning to unlock her chosen from her own prison.

Marinette pulled her hand free, holding the case open as she pulled her diary from its case. She flipped it open to May 3rd, finger trailing the paragraphs until it found the proper one. “Tikki! You don’t think that…maybe…after the second Puppeteer…that the girl he mentioned liking was…Ladybug?!”

Tikki hesitated, knowing full well the truth. She hesitantly shrugged, surprisingly pale compared to her normal cherry-red visage. “Well…I mean… maybe not? I mean, he said that ‘the girl he liked didn’t like his jokes’. And you’ve never told him that as Ladybug, correct?”

“He lived through the same five minutes twenty-six thousand times last time he had the Snake Miraculous. That’s twenty-six thousand different realities.” Marinette pointed out, doodling a tiny snake in the corner of her diary’s page. “Twenty-six thousand different conversations we had. Do…do you think I ever complained about his sense of humor?”

“Maybe so.” Tikki hummed, though she seriously doubted it. “Maybe his interests changed over the time you’ve partnered up with him.”

“Perhaps.” The civilian hero thought for a moment, humming. “His sense of humor is actually really close to Chat’s. They both used the same joke that day… Oy, this is going to be hard to get over Chat Noir leaving if I have to deal with Aspik acting just like him…”

“At least he only seems to only use Chat Noir’s sense of humor.” Tikki hummed, doing her best not to give away Aspik’s secret. “Besides, you might just get too occupied with dating him!”

Marinette pressed the pillow to her face once again, and began to squeal into it, this time laying on her back as she kicked her feet in the air excitedly.

Tikki picked up the diary form its place sprawled on the bed and placed it into its case. She smiled up at Marinette as her holder giggled crazily. Even after Luka’s love confession, she hadn’t been _this_…words failed Tikki. Energized? Excited? Jittery? Well, she hadn’t been anything close to what she was acting like now.

“Quick!!” Marinette screeched, sitting up suddenly and snagging Tikki out of mid-air. “Have me do something distracting! I can’t handle this any longer!”

Tikki jumped at the suddenly contact, surprised by how much Marinette was shaking. “Oh, dear! Wouldn’t it be better to just let it all out?”

“How am I going to act _normal_ around him, Tikki?!” Marinette pondered, shaking her head. “As us being civilians, I have to act like I’m not dating him, even though I know I am!! “

“You could always go back to avoiding him?” Tikki suggested, giggling at Marinette’s horrified expression. “I’m joking! Don’t do that. Just…deep breaths, okay?”

“Deep breaths. I can do that.” Marinette panted, taking her first one right then and there. A quick inhale, a slow exhale. “I can do that.”

“Still need a distraction?” Tikki asked, cocking her tiny head.

“Yes, please.”

“Let’s discuss heroes!”

“Like the past Ladybugs?” Marinette perked up, though her shoulders went back to slouching when Tikki shook her head. “Okay…what, then?”

“Making a new team! Your old team consisted of…let’s see… Rena Rouge, Carapace, Queen Bee, Roi Singe, Pegasus, Viperion, Ryuko, and, of course, Chat Noir. We know the last two are very valuable teammates, though, unfortunately, Ryuko’s identity was revealed, and Chat Noir gave up his role.”

Marinette pursed her lips at that, bowing her head.

“And the first six you can’t trust anymore due to their beliefs regarding Chat Noir.” Tikki continued, and her holder nodded. “Therefore, you can begin to make a new team. Surround yourself with only the people you know will always be by you and Chat Noir’s side.”

Marinette looked at Tikki, surprised. “Meaning…?”

“Create a new team! Use new Miraculouses! Explore new possibilities. You already have Aspik, and you can maybe give Kagami another, different Miraculous! Search Paris, get new friends! Find people who care for Chat Noir. Perhaps people affected in a positive way by him, people who also trusted him, and understand he was akumatized and didn’t have control over his actions.”

Marinette thought for a moment, tsking her tongue curiously. “Maybe…” The two sat in silence for a moment, then Marinette grinned and sprang for her desk. "Tikki, if we do this whole 'new hero' thing, we've gotta have a list of those who are Pro-Chat, and who's Anti." Marinette grabbed a spare notebook from a drawer on her desk, and a mechanical pencil from her spare, ladybug-themed coffee mug Chat Noir had gotten her about half a year previously. (He had a matching feline-based one.)

Marinette laid the notebook down of her desk, tapping the tip of the pencil against the paper before writing at the top _Pro-Chat._

She looked at Tikki, who stared at the sheet intently. "Are you going to put yourself on the list?" The Kwami asked, hovering back and forth.

"Why not?" The girl asked, shrugging. In neat cursive, she wrote _Adrien <3_ . She promptly erased the heart, a dorky, little, happy grin on her face. She moved into the next line, scrawling out _Alix._ Another line. _Marinette_. She pulled out her phone and pulled up the texts between herself and her teacher, scrolling until she found the source. Sure enough, Mme. Bustier had dropped plenty of hints that she was Pro-Chat. Her name was rapidly added to the growing list, and _Kagami_ had been written down as well.

"Adrien mentioned a few days ago that his bodyguard - the Gorilla, was it? - is also a Pro." Tikki pointed out, using her top limbs - because, seriously, could they even be considered arms? - to illustrate the man's wide shape.

Marinette added the bear-sized man's name to the list, smiling down proudly at it. “What do you think, Tikki?”

The Kwami peered over her shoulder, nodding seriously. “That’s perfect, Marinette! And you left room enough to add more people when the time comes.”

“That’s right, Tikki!” Marinette flipped open her the notebook to the middle, thinking for a moment. “I’m not giving up on Alya, Nino, nor anyone else at school. I know I can show them the error in their ways. Then I can trust them again. But until then…” She smiled, glancing up at the ceiling as she slowly rotated her chair around.

_Chat Noir. I’m…I’m dating Aspik. I enlisted the person you wanted me to. I followed your advice. I…I hope you’re smiling, wherever you are. I hope you’re on top of the world. And I hope you’re returning to me soon. I miss you._


	20. Gabriel Interlude

Gabriel Agreste – thus, Hawkmoth - was no fool.

Sure, he was positive Ladybug and her little group probably assumed he was an idiot. Reasons for this being as such; Akumatizing Chat Noir had only driven the hero into hiding, thus making his Miraculous unreachable.

Ladybug most likely thought her adversary a great fool for not bringing himself and Mayura out of hiding to fight beside his akuma. Or, at very least, he could have had Blanc immediately deliver his ring to Hawkmoth. Then, Hawkmoth already could have had half of his needed tools. But he hadn’t.

No, he had held himself back from taking the obvious route. Instead, he plotted.

Chat Noir had practically dropped off the map, leaving Ladybug alone.

Hawkmoth knew with certainly that he was helpless against the duo if they really put their minds to it. They could easily incapacitate him, truly.

Unfortunately, it would be near impossible to separate them. If Chat Noir was hit during an Akuma fight, and was incapacitated, Ladybug gained an unholy fury and worked twice as hard, because she would murder anyone and everyone who got too close to her partner. Anyone who hurt him might as well have a giant target on their back, after all. (It was a miracle she had yet to find and slay Hawkmoth.)

On the other hand, if he so much as even tried to hurt Ladybug, Chat Noir straight up panicked. (Something Hawkmoth had randomly noticed was Noir’s odd tendency to fiddle with his left wrist whenever Ladybug was in any kind of danger.) Despite his panic, he attacked viciously, and didn’t get sidetracked by other things; always focused solely on protecting Ladybug.

(Gabriel was beginning to believe that when one was injured, their extra physical strengths were gifted to their partner, helping the other become super charged.)

However, if Chat Noir or Ladybug simply…didn’t show up, the other lacked the aggressive drive to easily defeat the Akuma. Ladybug was nearly defeated in Style Queen, and, honestly, Hawkmoth wasn’t sure at all how Weredad was defeated.

In short, Gabriel believed, if he simply found a way to dispose of one of them in a non-destructive manner, the other would be helpless on their own due to the fact that they weren’t fueled by rage or whatever it was.

Of course, the obvious one to dispose of was Chat Noir. He was Ladybug’s sword and shield, and was, from what Hawkmoth could tell, the most emotionally injured. While Ladybug let out a tiny burst of negative feelings maybe every week or so – not powerful enough to grip onto and didn’t last long enough to get a proper feel for – Chat Noir let his anger, fear, and sorrow build up. Kept them bottled until the cork wouldn’t go on again, then he poured them all out for hours, then began to fill his bottle up again, hidden behind fake labels full of smiles.

Problem was, Hawkmoth had to wait and wait for him to burst. He had to wait for two months after the original plan for Chat Noir to properly explode with so much emotion that lasted approximately enough time for Hawkmoth to get his claws in.

He had to wait until he was transformed and releasing emotion, too, because he was unable to track Noir unless if he was his super alter ego.

When Noir finally emerged with high emotions, he jumped at the chance. He honestly had been on a roll while fashion designing, but he ditched everything – ignoring a strange look from Natalie – for the whole purpose of properly Akumatizing Chat Noir.

He looked onto that emotion of complete sorrow and grief, and then he –

For the record - or, perhaps, off the record because he had to keep a very low profile - Hawkmoth was not expecting Blanc to go on a killing spree.

However, despite his initial surprise, he didn't veto the idea. On the contrary, he gave the go ahead and watched as Noir killed three hundred people in the first ten seconds of his Akumatization by destroying the nearest apartment complex - over seventeen floors, each floor with ten luxury apartments - and everything within. Before the ash had even begun falling, Blanc was taking care of the next building with one arm and using the other to destroy anyone who got too close - usually by fleeing. He even, at one point, destroyed two buildings at once.

Hawkmoth was a bit confused about how Chat Blanc somehow was able to target everyone except a single family member. Even when he destroyed entire apartment buildings, areas with multiple people were completely destroyed save a single survivor. Occasionally, Blanc tracked down specific families to Cataclysm one by one.

Hawkmoth was honestly the most confused by this, and his Akuma, his minion, wasn't telling him anything.

Hawkmoth started not to care halfway through it all. Chat Blanc could kill the entirety of Paris; as long as the Ladybug earrings were intact, everything would be fine in the end.

After three hours and almost a million people destroyed, Hawkmoth was beginning to doubt whether or not Ladybug was actually still alive. He was starting to think he'd have to have Blanc dig through all the ash until he found two, magic earrings that were, hopefully, untouched, when Ladybug crashed onto the battle ground, eyes filled with so many heartbreaking emotions that Hawkmoth was seriously considering withdrawing the Akuma from Chat Blanc so that he could Akumatize her instead. (Or put it into Natalie, who would become Catalyst again, so he could just maybe get two butterflies to them before their emotions simmered down.)

He stuck to his plan, however, and, though he did his best to defeat Ladybug using Chat Blanc, wasn’t exactly surprised when Ladybug defeated him. Sure, it took a few hours, but Ladybug finally purified the Akuma – Hawkmoth wasn’t sure how she broke the ring using a bag, but he was long past spending hours contemplating it – and Blanc became Noir once again.

Just as he planned, it took only a few days for Noir to disappear off the map, guilt weighing down on him. Hawkmoth was prepared. After all, his guilt would keep him away for as long as Hawkmoth desired him to be.

The plan from here on out could be explained quite simply; send Noir on a guilt trip, get him far away. Lull Ladybug into a false sense of security with easy Akumas, then release a Heroes Day-like situation. She’d be completely confused, caught off guard, and then he’d crush her beneath his thumb. Chat Noir would most likely charge out of hiding at that, fueled by that infamous wrath, but, even double his strength, he’d be no match against hundreds of Akumas. Hawkmoth would get his Miraculous, too, and everything would be his.

Maybe his plan might take months, but it’d be oh-so-worth it. If he planned it right, Emilie would be reawakened on his son’s birthday; the perfect gift. It’d make up for all the times he neglected his son to become Hawkmoth or ignored his offspring to go catch up on all his important fashion design work he missed.

He wasn’t a bad father, really. He hadn’t physically abused his son yet, and ‘Daddy Issues’ – as the kids called it – only strengthened people, correct?

Yes. Astoundingly correct.

Well, anyway, his mother returning would make up for it all, and Adrien would be happy once more. They’d both be content, and there’d no longer be a wall between them.

All he needed was for everything to go according to plan, and everything would(for the most part at least); because if there was one thing Hawkmoth was, it was a planner. Heroes Day may have been a flop, but he made a strong comeback.

Then, out of the blue, Aspik joined the battle.

…well, that was okay. Hawkmoth could work around it. As normal. Besides, surely, this egghead was much less a hero then his predecessor. Surely, this would be like taking candy from a baby in comparison to the old duo.

(There was one theory running around his head that maybe, juuust maybe this was Chat Noir in a new form, but he dismissed it. Stupid and improbable theory.)

Yes, in the end, Hawkmoth would be victorious. He wouldn’t have it any other way.


	21. Ours (Taylor Swift)

Adrien was on top of the world. He was smiling his head off as he glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time, glad to see patrol was only five minutes away. Two days had passed since he had confessed his love to Ladybug, and he was eager to see his girlfriend – _girlfriend!! _– again. The last several days had been utter torture as he had waited for an akuma attack or the days they had planned for patrol.

To his surprise, she had chosen days she had never went on with Chat Noir to be the new patrol days, though he supposed he shouldn’t be so perturbed anymore; after all, she had even changed the traditional fist bump for a simple high-five.

This was a new chapter in the book of his life, and he was looking forward to writing it with her. He glanced over to Sass and Plagg, who were arguing over their food choices, Sass clearly bothered by how much time he was spending with the Black Kwami, and Plagg was obviously enjoying the whole thing, laughing at the Guardian of Shapeshifting and formerly Second Chances.

“Guys, it’s time to go.” Adrien called, attracting their attention to him.

Sass perked up, nodding. “Ready to go!”

“Eager to see your lady and girlfriend, aren’t you?” Plagg grinned, his grin all too smug.

“Oh, sush.” Adrien snorted, shaking his head. “What would you know about love?” He took a step toward Plagg, grinning as he advanced upon his Kwamis. His right leg landed wrong and slid out from under him. Both Kwamis surged forward as he collapsed on the floor, hovering around him.

Adrien let out a hiss, grasping his leg. “Ouch…”

“Your wound iss sstill bothering you.” Sass assumed, landing on the leg gently. “From the time you were beaten by the mob.”

“Yeah.” Adrien admitted, massaging his foreleg angrily. “I thought it was getting better…it hasn’t acted up that badly for several days!”

“Remain careful.” Sass cautioned, staring at it. “How’ss your head and chest?”

“They’re better…” Adrien mumbled, touching his forehead. “They haven’t hurt for a week except for the occasional headache, but those are normal.”

Plagg narrowed his eyes. “Kid…” he warned, humming. “Try to keep movement to a minimum during the patrol, okay? Try not to go leaping from rooftop to rooftop, okay? That might slow down the healing process and might give off your identity if you take a tumble.”

“I’ll be fine.” Adrien promised, planting his hand over his heart as an oath as he rose himself to his feet. “I promise, Plagg and Sass. I’ll try not to move around too much.”

The duo of magical entities exchanged a look, their argument from two minutes before forgotten.

“Cauttion iss your friend.” Sass reminded him one final time, prompting a single smile from Adrien.

“Sass, Let’s Rattle!” Sass vanished in a flash of light into Adrien’s bracelet, the magic spreading across his whole body, Plagg at this point allowing himself to be grabbed and placed neatly in the pocket with only a small, worried smile at his former holder.

Aspik grabbed his civilian phone from his bedside table, sending a simple text to the Gorilla; _Heading out to patrol. Be back in an hour or two._

A thumbs-up emoji greeted him before he lazily tossed his phone back onto the furniture, leaping out his window instantly. He kept his right leg tucked close to his chest as he leapt, his left leg the thing that provided the momentum needed to jump into the air and the first leg to touch ground, taking the brunt of the land. He began to run, making sure to allow his right leg less time on the roof and thus less time supporting his weight.

He reached the meeting spot punctually, exactly on time at 8:30 pm. He glanced around, doing a quick survey of the area. It was a different address from the old patrols used to begin. It was a different chapter in Ladybug’s life, too. He had to remember that.

The heroine, as if summoned, landed behind him, laughing cheerfully. “Hey! Aspik! You’re already here!”

Aspik perked up, whipping around, smiling brightly. “M…Ladybug!”

“I hope you weren’t waiting too long.” She blushed, fiddling with the pieces of hair hanging down at the sides of her face.

“Not long at all, trust me.” He promised, approaching her happily. “Hardly a minute, if that.”

“W-well that’s good!” She chirped, smiling up at him.

Glancing down at her hands, he quirked an eyebrow, which only caused the mask above his eye to slightly rise. “What’s with the basket?” He asked, gesturing at the wicker bin in her left.

“O-oh!” She glanced down, as if noticing the picnic basket for the first time. “That! Yes! I-I was thinking…since we’re dating now…maybe we could share some pastries? Um… unless if you can’t have them because, well… you know…”

“No!” He assured, stiffening slightly. “I’d love it! Thank you!”

She smiled, opening up the picnic basket as she laid it on the ground. She took out a blanket form within, checkered with the classic white and red pattern.

He took it from her and spread it out on the rooftop, making sure it was all straight.

“I used to do this with Chat Noir sometimes.” Ladybug told him thoughtfully, setting out a small box of macaroons. “Except we didn’t really stay in one place while we ate. I’d bring a package of macaroons, or he’d bring a box of chocolate he said he got in the mail, or we’d both bring a few treats, sometimes full meals like Chinese takeout or something. We’d snack as we went on patrol; it was rare for us to stay in one place. It was…nice, you know?”

“I know.” He said softly, before realizing how wrong that sounded and hurried to cover up his mistake. “I-I mean, it sounds like you two had a lot of fun, before…well, you know. I guess staying in one place feels more like a date.”

“It did.” She agreed, rummaging through the basket. “I was always the one to tell him ‘no’ to anything that sounded remotely like a date. When we did stay in one place it was just talking. No real activities.” Ladybug hummed, sighing quietly as she laid out a tray of brownies. She sat back on her heels, shaking her head. “But right now, it’s just…it’s a real date! Because we’re dating! Heh. It’s…surprising, you know. I…wasn’t really expecting it.”

“It was spur of the moment.” Aspik admitted, tilting his head hesitantly. “I…admittedly wasn’t expecting it either.”

Ladybug smiled softly at that, her laugh crisp and clear. “So was this!” She stated, gesturing messily toward the buffet she had set up between them. “Tikki – my Kwami – told me that a picnic is a nice first date or hangout or…whatever.”

“It’s true.” Aspik nodded sagely, smiling. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, you know.”

“I thought that was an old maid’s tale.” Ladybug grinned, covering her mouth to stifle the giggles escaping it.

“No, no, every word is true!” Aspik assured, a bit confused. He – as Chat Noir - had used the same maxim on her when she had brought food to patrol the first time, and she had just groaned and shoved the macaroons at him, telling him to take them before she changed her mind.

He had accepted it at the time, but now he was confused over it. She hadn’t laughed at Chat, but had laughed at--? Then again, he had figured out the instant he had returned to the room he called home that he must’ve, somehow, been the boy she liked all along. The guy she loved, the one she kept rejected Chat Noir for, had turned out to be him. He was certain of it; why else would she consistently told Chat Noir ‘no’ then said yes the moment Aspik asked her?

It appeared that Ladybug had somehow known what his wish had been; for her new partner to be the boy she liked. Perhaps Marinette had found a way to contact Ladybug and told her after he left as Chat Noir. Otherwise, it was either coincidence, or she had been silently waiting for Chat Noir to mess up so that Adrien could take his place.

Aspik stubbornly refused to consider the second option, shaking his head slightly as he glanced at Ladybug, who was thoughtfully gazing out over the horizon. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle, and her dark hair blew out in the wind behind her. It was times such as this that he remembered just how amazing and wonderful she was; and how much he loved her.

“What are you thinking about?” Aspik asked, surprised as she jerked in surprise. He jumped back, wincing slightly as his leg hit the roof at a weird angle, though, fortunately, his girlfriend didn’t notice.

“O-oh! You know! Just…things!” She stammered, turning her head towards him.

“Ahhh, yes. The infamous ‘things.” He teased, and she nervously laughed again, pink dusting her cheeks.

“I-I was thinking about something I was discussing with Tikki earlier. Um…we were thinking about getting new heroes. None of the old ones, all new ones. Except for, well, me. And hopefully Chat Noir if he ever comes back.”

“Really?” Aspik asked, cocking his head. “Who do you have in mind so far?”

“Well…” she shrugged, glancing over the city. “It’s…well, I’m not sure, yet. They’re all anti-Chat or, in a few cases, accidentally revealed their identities to Hawkmoth…”

“Who?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.” Ladybug responded easily, flapping her hand. “I can’t tell _anyone._”

“What if Chat Noir were here?”

Ladybug hunched her shoulders, curling her legs up to her chest. “Even him… though I’m positive he already knows their identities.”

_Marinette, AKA Multimouse, and Kagami/Ryuko. _Aspik guessed, only nodding. “That makes sense. If Hawkmoth knew…”

“He could hurt our loved ones.” Ladybug finished, nodding gently.

Aspik smiled in understanding, surprised that he didn’t feel as hurt as he thought he would when she once more insisted to keeping their identities secret. It made him realize that, indeed, when she told Chat Noir that she wasn’t going to reveal her identity to anyone, she meant it. She and Aspik were dating – ignoring it was literally their first date – and yet she still didn’t reveal. It made him feel…good.

“I promise,” he said, holding onto the peaceful feeling that countered his hurting right bottom limb, “I’ll keep my identity secret, and won’t press you for yours.” _I’ll never hurt you again. _Asking her if they could reveal hurt her when he was Chat Noir, and he promised he never would do that again.

“Good.” Ladybug nodded, smiling brightly as she rested her head against his shoulder. In an automatic response, he draped an arm around her shoulder blades, holding her close.

The warmth of the last glows of the sun – as it was already sunset – lit upon their visages, casting them in a warm, peach-like light. The sun made the sky orange as it transformed the day into dusk, which would later become twilight then night.

They sat together, feeding on the pastries for about an hour, as the sky traversed through its daily cycles. Aspik, when he was Chat Noir, had always considered Ladybug the sun; when she truly glowed and showed off her powers and kept Paris safe from the cold rays that threatened to sweep in. Chat Noir was the moon, reflecting her rays and keeping only a little light for himself. Following the sun, chasing after her. Sometimes he was orange, sometimes he was blue, sometimes just a pure white, but no matter his hue, he helped Ladybug distribute her love to the city. He was barely noticed in the light of the day, but there, nonetheless.

“Well.” Ladybug sighed beside him, speaking for the first time in over fifteen minutes. “It’s getting late, and I have a test tomorrow. And if I’ve learned anything, I think you do, too.”

“That’s spot on.” ‘**_Spot_**_ on, as always, eh M’lady?_’ Fought his tongue for freedom, practically begging to be released to the air, to be spoken to her. Aspik battled them down, rising to his feet with her as she stretched, the male doing his best not to put too much weight on his right leg as he shifted his center of gravity gently.

“That was nice, Aspik.” She smiled reassuringly, oblivious to his conflict. “I had fun talking with you.”

“I did, too.” He breathed, finally able to have some other words shared between them.

“Let’s do it again sometime, yeah?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

Ladybug grinned one final time at him, leaning up on her tiptoes to grant him a gentle, happy kiss on his cheek before lowering herself onto the flats of her feet. “Goodnight, ‘pik.” She waved, pulling out her yo-yo as she picked up the re-packed picnic basket and using her magical weapon to pull herself away from the building and far away from him.

“Goodnight.” Aspik whispered after her, raising up one hand as a farewell as she vanished into the distance. The dangerous, dangerous, identity-threatening word spilled past his lips at that moment, filling the now-vacant space around him. “M’lady.”


	22. You Can Let Go Now Daddy (Crystal Shawanda)

“Marinette!” The all-too familiar voice of Wayzz sounded in her room, looking around frantically for the young teenager.

“Wayzz!” Marinette greeted, waving as she finished a few pieces of her Pro-Chat line, cleverly renamed the Kitty Committee by Adrien. “Is something wrong with Master Fu?”

“Indeed so, Marinette!” Wayzz nodded, desperately, his eyes full of the worry that he usually held when speaking of his master. “Please, come quickly! You know which inn he’s staying at; room 339!”

“Don’t worry, Wayzz.” Marinette comforted, nodding at him seriously, face unreadable. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.

The turtle Kwami launched himself from the room, immediately, flashing form the bakery’s top bedroom before Marinette could blink.

Marinette, undisturbed and not worried in the slightest, continued on sewing the skirt of the medium-length sundress she was working on. “Pass me the pastel green thread, will you, Tikki?”

"Marinette!" Tikki chastised in horror, flirting about her wielder's head as she neglected to oblige to the bluenette’s request.. "You should be going to Master Fu's inn! He needs you!"

"I'll just finish the hem here, Tikki." Marinette sighed, expertly adjusting the lining on the bottom of the skirt as she also swiped up the thread. "I'll be over there so quick; he won't even realize I delayed it."

"Marinette! What if it's serious?!" Tikki scolded, blue eyes widening.

"It's probably not. Just constipation or a migraine again." Marinette pointed out, sighing. "And you heard what the doctor said last time he was constipated; he was completely fine, just over reacted. Like men do."

"I'm very worried about him." Tikki whined, looking urgently out the window. "Once you're done, can we please go as Ladybug? It'll be much faster."

"Tikki, you know how dangerous that is; Hawkmoth could find Master Fu if he ever got it into his mind to track me."

"He's never tracked you home, yet, so I think your chances are good." Tikki pointed out, pressing her top right limb against the glass. She jumped as a raindrop landed on the pane before her, her antennas wiggling in surprise.

"Besides, I'm not going out as Ladybug in that!" Marinette finalized, gesturing with her free hand to the outside world, where a rainstorm was beginning. "We'd both catch a cold, and then where would we be?"

"I suppose I can't argue with that." Tikki relented, glancing to the side at Marinette's half-completed projects, including a Chat Noir-themed winter coat that was decorated just like the top-half of his suit. If it had been ready, Tikki might have been able to convince Marinette to being that along as a shelter from the rain, but, alas, it was a work in progress. And Ladybug could not bring her other coats for they were too recognizable as Marinette’s.

Around this time, Marinette finished adjusting the hem on the dress, looking up to smile at Tikki. “Done, Tikki! I’m ready to go to Master Fu’s!”

“Let’s go!” Tikki said in excitement, buzzing as she dived in Marinette’s purse, now equipped with cotton for the cold weather, though it would be removed come summer. Marinette scooped up a light blue jacket, zipping it up as high as it would go. A pink umbrella joined the parade, and she drew her hood around her eyes.

“Alright!” Marinette charged down the several flights of stairs, quickly fixing her hair so that it looked a bit presentable. She flipped open her phone, checking the metro schedule for the next train going to the area surrounding Master Fu’s Inn. “We’ll be there in no time, Tikki! If we’re at the station in ten minutes, we can just make the train! Is my bus pass in there with you?”

Tikki glanced around her enclosed area busily, nodding. “Yes! We have your phone, bus pass, and extra money, just in case!”

“Yes! No stopping for this girl!” Marinette cheered, pumping her fist a few seconds before bursting into the bakery’s back corner, where all the pastry-making usually got done.

Her mother, who’s turn it was to bake that day, jumped in surprise at her daughter’s sudden appearance, before laughing if off. “Oh, hello, sweetie. Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, Mom! I’m heading off to work!”

“Okay, have a good day!” Sabine waved as her daughter left, smiling. “Remember to text me when you get there!”

“I will!”

When she left the bakery, her mother waving after her as she vanished, and her father calling goodbyes from the front of the bakery, she sighed in relief. It honestly shocked her at how easily she manipulated her parents. They believed she worked as a Personal Support Worker. Helping a client who was disabled and unable to care for himself properly. She told them that she worked with another Support Worker, though the other was the main one. Occasionally, the other one – Wayne was the fake name she selected – had his own personal matters to attend to, so he’d give her a text and she left to tend for the man. All of this was code for Wayzz coming to ask her to help Master Fu.

They believed her, and, after gifting her with pepper spray and a few self-defense lessons, sent her on her way with words of warning.

It hurt Marinette a lot to fool them, but it became surprisingly easier to cope with it as days ticked by; an endless cycle. Marinette sighed in remorse, shaking her head as she took off in a jog towards that station.

“See?” Tikki asked, gazing out of her purse at Marinette, voice just loud enough for her chosen to hear, but quiet enough that none of the surrounding people heard them all that well. “You use lying in your everyday life.”

“I see how you changed that two-week old conversation into a lesson in real life, and I am impressed.” Marinette relented in the same volume as her Kwami, glancing at the magical entity. “At least I’m lying for good causes.”

Tikki only shrugged and ducked into the purse, Marinette taking that as her cue to close it completely. Five minutes later, she arrived at the entrance of the station, walking into by way of the stairs leading underground, walking into the subway casually. Her train was still waiting in its lot, giving her time to purchase a ticket using her bus pass and board the metro.

She found a relatively empty area on the train, and a barren seat.

Pulling out her sketchbook, she sat to work designing the latest prices and adding finer details to already sketched artworks. To the sketch of the sundress, she included a black sun hat to go along with it. On its own separate page, she created sunglasses that could double as a headband to keep hair out of the eyes as efficiently as possible. This design would be given to Adrien, as the teen model had gained shaggier hair, and had yet to be instructed to cut it. It made it hard for him to do school, as his dirty blonde hair kept on falling over his eyes, thus making him unable to bow his head even slightly without his vision becoming covered.

Marinette placed her purse on her lap, opening It up for Tikki so she could see the designs. “How do you like them?” She whispered, ensuring that nobody else heard her talking to her purse that had a weird red head resembling that of a ladybug sticking out.

“They look good, Marinette!” Tikki nodded, smiling. “Maybe lower the skirt just a bit, so it’s closer to the ankles rather than the knees.”

“I was thinking a wider and higher ribbon might also help the skirt fan out a bit more.”

“True.” Tikki agreed, nodding.

The two shared ideas in quiet harmony, their thoughts usually corresponding with each other. Marinette made necessary changes to her designs, perfecting them until both Kwami of Creation and Designer agreed about the design.

After a while, Marinette glanced at the time, thankful to see that her train was scheduled to stop at the station closest to Master Fu's inn within the next two minutes. The fifteen minutes had passed rapidly while she and Tikki had been brainstorming fashion ideas. It sure was handy to have the Guardian of Creation as a constant companion; the red fairy-like creature was always full of ideas.

Marinette rapidly folded her sketches into her purse, stashed away her phone, and tucked her pencil away into her jacket's inside pocket. Tikki nestled away the things in Marinette’s purse from within, organizing it and keeping the small space neat.

The train lurched to a stop, and Marinette clambered off along with three other people, scanning off the bus with her ticket. She climbed up the stairwell to the outside world, where rain was still heavily pouring. When she was almost out from the underground area, she opened her umbrella, holding it over her head.

The onslaught of rain that hammered upon the fabric mere seconds later was loud, and a bit unsettling, as if something terrible was about to happen. It felt like something from the movie Solitude. The film – shown to her, Alya, and Nino by Adrien – was mostly filmed in the rain, and the movie tended to be tragedy and mystery, dealing with death of close family and friends. And with each new death, the main actress was driven deeper and deeper into grief.

After seeing that movie, Marinette could hardly stand in the rain without guessing something terrible was going to happen any moment. Of course, she knew otherwise, but it didn’t help the thoughts of present form occurring. Something terrible, her mind seemed to repeat as she walked towards the inn quietly.

Marinette found the triangular building easily, arriving shortly. She entered the inside of the small-hotel-like building, walking past the front desk.

“Good afternoon, Mademoiselle Marinette.” The woman behind the front desk waved, grinning. “Going to see your grandfather again?”

“Yes ma’am, Mme. Storm!” Marinette nodded, once again lying about her relation to Master Fu, closing her umbrella and shaking it over the quick-dry rug.

“Have a good day and tell him ‘hi’ for me! I haven’t seen him in a few days!” Mme. Storm smiled, resuming with her filing.

“Will do! Have a good day as well!” Marinette beamed back, advancing up the nearby stairs. Their conversation ended there, and she climbed up the stairs silently, all the way up to the third floor. She walked safely onto the smooth ground. Turning left, she walked down thirteen doors, to room 339, Master Fu’s room, knocking on the door.

“Ma- Grandfather? It’s me! Marinette!”

The door jingled, for far too long for Master Fu to be the one to open it; most likely Wayzz unlocking it form within and managing to open it slightly, enough for her to get the hint that it was okay for her to come in.

Marinette pushed open the door, peaking in experimentally. First thing she saw was Wayzz’s worried yellow and green eyes staring out at her. He waved at her excitedly, gesturing her into the room nervously.

“Hurry!” He hissed, shivering slightly. “I’m not sure what to do, I think it requires a human touch!”

Marinette entered the room, closing the door behind her as she glanced about the room; Master Fu was nowhere to be seen.

“Down.” Wayzz said, buzzing before her.

Blue eyes went to her feet, and there, one foot away from her toes, lay Master Fu, sprawled dangerously on the ground, a box of spices in his hands, contents scattered across the floor.

“Master!” Marinette gasped, landing on her knees and feeling desperately for a pulse, not caring whatsoever that the walls were thin enough to pick up on her words. “Please, wake up!!”

Wayzz and Tikki hovered nervously nearby, trembling in midair.

“He still has a pulse.” Marinette breathed after a minute, trembling in fright. “Tikki, get out my phone.”

Tikki dove within her purse, and Wayzz pried it open instantly. Tikki pulled out Marinette’s phone, already on the keypad on the phone app.

Marinette typed in 112, the main emergency contact in Paris, France. The phone rung, the recipient not picking up. “Com’n, com’n.” Marinette whispered, keeping her fingers on Master Fu’s wrist to ensure his pulse kept beating. “Pick up, pick up, please…”

Oh, _Kwamis_, how was she going to explain this to Chat Noir? How was she even going to contact Chat to tell him? Did he even need to know? He didn’t know Master Fu that well, and…oh, who was she kidding? He didn’t need to know because he wasn’t even part of the team. She…she hoped Master Fu was okay. She hoped that Chat Noir was okay. She hoped they both were okay and stayed okay. She…if anything horrible happened to even one of them, she wasn’t sure exactly how she’d cope or tell the other, and…what if something happened to Chat Noir and Master Fu had to be the one to tell her? What if she was alone because Master Fu died, and then she never knew anything about Chat Noir, and-!

“112, what’s your emergency?” Came the calm, friendly reply.

“I…I’m not sure. It’s…my Grandfather. He’s unconscious, and I think he’s been unconscious a while now.” She looked at Wayzz for confirmation, and he nodded. “He still has a pulse, though, but it’s really rapid and irregular.”

“Okay…just tracked your phone call, I’m sending an ambulance. I’m going to need your room number.”

“339.”

“Thank you. Allow me talk you through it, Mademoiselle.”

“Okay. Okay.” Marinette agreed, nodding quietly, shuddering.

“Is he breathing?”

“Um…” Marinette watched Master Fu carefully, inhaling sharply. “Barely.”

“Does he react when you touch him?”

“No, ma’am. He doesn’t even flinch.”

“Okay, the ambulances will be there in just a minute or two. Is anyone there with you?”

Marinette glanced at the Kwamis, though she knew that she couldn’t tell the woman about them. “No, nobody at all. I just arrived for a visit, and Grandpa was on the floor when I came in.”

“How long ago did you come in?”

“Five minutes? Maybe? I’m not exactly sure.”

“Okay, Mademoiselle. Stay calm, okay? Take deep breaths. You’re hyperventilating.”

Hyperventilating? That didn’t sound quite right. But…just by listening to herself, Marinette could confirm that…yes, she was absolutely hyperventilating. “Okay. I can…I can take deep breaths. I can do that.” She inhaled sharply, then exhaled. Five seconds in, five seconds out. She followed the rhythm nervously for several breaths. “Please…when will they be here?”

“I just got word that they arrived outside; paramedics are on their way up.” The woman gently told her, voice maintaining the same calm, relaxed voice she had kept throughout the entire conversation. “Is he still breathing?”

“Yes.” Marinette responded immediately, nodding. “And a pulse.”

“Good, good. Any blood?”

“No.” Marinette said, staring down at him. “No blood at all.”

“Roll him onto his back.” The woman instructed, and Marinette pushed him softly from his right shoulder blade onto his spine.

The woman continued with her soothing tone, asking Marinette more questions, having her do more relaxing breathing exercises.

Eventually, a knock came from the door, giving Tikki and Wayzz their cue to phase into Marinette’s purse. Marinette moved to the side, allowing the paramedics free entrance into the hotel. Despite her moving, they still had to step over her and Master Fu to get the stretcher they carried into the inn room.

“They’re here…” She told the woman on the other side of the phone, who, after assuring her everything would be alright, hung up, saying that, although she wanted to stay to help, she had to tend to helping others.

Three paramedics, two large muscular men, and one lithe female, stepped into the room. The two men instantly set about lifting Master Fu onto the stretcher, and the female kneeled over and put a comforting hand on Marinette’s back.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” She asked, carefully, blue-grey eyes flashed in concern.

“I’m fine.” Marinette whispered, exhaling slowly as she struggled to remain calm. “Will… um…Grandpa be alright?”

“I think so.” The petite female assured, nodding. “We’ll figure out what’s wrong in either the hospital, or in the ambulance. Depending on his age, it could be any number of things. But, it should be relatively easy to narrow it down.” Raising her head to stare levelly at the two boys, she stood up. “David, how does he look?”

“I’m not sure.” The man furthest from them said, stiffly standing up as he and his partner picked up the stretcher, lifting the unconscious Master Fu from the ground. “He’ll be fine in a bit.”

David and the other male moved out of the room with Master Fu, rushing out of the hall and descending the stairs, barely managing to keep Master Fu on as they hurried onward as quickly as they could.

“Do you need a breather, Mademoiselle?” The paramedic asked, glancing down at the bluenette.

“N-no, I’m fine.” Marinette touched her purse, as if confirming the Kwamis were still within. “I just…need to grab something of his…”

“Be quick, or else you’ll have to ride with David and Jedidiah.” The woman teased, watching with half-amusement as Marinette frantically looked around, head whipping back and forth.

Finally, she spotted it, pushed half-way underneath the bed. Practically charging it, she grabbed the cooler, opening it a track to peek in. There, buried underneath several cubes of ice, sat the Miracle Box, just ‘Chillin’. Chat Noir would have appreciated the pun.

Closing the lid, she turned to the woman who was still standing by the door. “Ready to go.” She said, hurrying past the brunette without a word.

She hurried after the men, surprised that they had already gotten as far as the front desk by the time she caught up.

Mme. Storm was on her feet, pushing back her chair, and trying to get a closer look by the time Marinette passed by. She called after Marinette urgently, but the teenager ignored her in favor of jogging beside Master Fu as he was carried out.

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes once again, and she found herself begging him inwardly to hold on, to stay alive, to just breath again. _The Kwamis need you to be their Guardian…_ she found herself squeezing his hand, shaking too hard to be calm.

Daniel and Jedidiah reached the ambulance, parked as close to the entrance as it could get. Another male head stuck out from the driver-seat window, the man leaping out at that short moment’s notice to shove open the doors to the backside of the ambulance.

The duo of men pushed in the stretcher, clipping it onto the top of the wheel-version of the stretcher, which would have made it abundantly harder to move up and down the stairs.

They glanced down at Marinette, smiling sympathetically at the sobbing, teenage girl.

“It’ll be alright, kid.” Said one.

“Yes; the hospital will do all they can.” Agreed the other.

Through her blurred vision, she noticed their identical, comforting grins. _Brothers._ She thought dimly. _Always there for one another, never straying far and…oh, where’s Chat Noir when you need him?_

The female medic arrived a few minutes later, jumping into the back of the ambulance as she secured the stretcher and began wrapping a heartbeat monitor around Master Fu’s upper arm, offering a kind hand to Marinette.

Marinette accepted, climbing into the vehicle rapidly.

The four paramedics let Marinette stay in the same ambulance as Master Fu, telling her that, since she was family, of course she could ride in the same vehicle as him.

Phillip – the driver- didn’t seem all that jazzed about her tagged along, though he let her. She assumed he were used to having elbow room, even with a patient and Heather – as was the female paramedic’s name – and Marinette was only compromised his space.

Marinette didn’t care, though. All that mattered in her mind right then was Master Fu; the cheeky, wise, caring man who mentored her throughout her time as Ladybug. He had nurtured her from when she was a confused teen who thought she would always be a pushover until now, a young woman who, though stressed a lot of the time - most of the stress honestly being his fault, but he didn’t mean to cause it - was now mature, smart, courageous, and could easily stand up for herself. She met her best friend thanks to Master Fu and could do things she never could before.

She was…honored to call him family, even if it was just pretend.

“Hmm.” Heather said, staring down at the screen she was using to monitor Master Fu specs. “I’m not sure yet, but all these seem to indicate a heart attack.”

Marinette jolted, paying careful attention. “What are you talking about?”

“His monitors. Irregular, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath even while unconscious…plus a few other symptoms I noticed, mix those together, and you get a heart attack.” Heather gestured busily, typing a few things into her tablet. “He should be stable until we get to the hospital, where doctors can try to tend to him, and then it’s in the Gods’ hands.”

“Okay…thank you…” Marinette nodded, squeezing Master Fu’s cold hand once again. _Please…I’m not ready for you to leave me._

If Marinette was being frank, she hardly registered when the Ambulance pulled into the hospital lot and unloaded Master Fu. They allowed her to keep holding onto him as they wheeled him down the halls, into an elevator, pulled him up to the second floor.

Heather was the one to push away Marinette’s hand when they arrived at the Emergency Room. “Com’n, Sweetie, they need to take care of him. You need to let go.”

“N-no, I can’t! Please, don’t make me!! Don’t make me, don’t make--!” Marinette sobbed, trying to still clutch at him as the nearest doctor closed the door in her face, trying to keep her out.

“Com’n.” Heather said, holding her back. “They’re just going to run a few tests…see if they can wake him up. Then they’ll come get you.”

That’s about when Marinette snapped back into reality. “Are they going to perform surgery?” She asked, glancing up at Heather.

“It’ll take a bit for them to prepare; most likely the surgical doctors will be preparing for any circumstance so that they can move right in once the tests are done. But…surgeries cost a lot of money. So, they’ll have to ask you about other family members and discuss forms of payment and figuring out all the paperwork.”

Marinette shuddered at the thought. She wasn’t very rich and would probably fall short of all methods of payment. Her parents also wouldn’t understand why ‘Wayne’ failed to help with the payment, as well as the agency in charge of the Personal Support Workers. Of course, they’d jump right in to help, but they’d be confused, and if she explained, they’d be so upset she had lied to the doctors and them. They wouldn’t understand, they wouldn’t get it. She’d be so grounded… how was she going to figure this out?!

She dimly realized that Heather was leading her to the waiting area. The female paramedic’s actions showing just how unfazed she was. From her steady footsteps, to her unworried face, she clearly dealt with this sort of thing on an ordinary basis and was hardly surprised with anything anymore.

“I have to hurry off to a few other emergencies.” Heather apologized after she had gotten Marinette settled down, giving her a pitying look with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It wasn’t her job to take care of distressed visitors, Marinette realized. She was just good at temporary assurances before she had to leave again.

“A nurse will explain what’s going on to you before your Grandfather heads into surgery. If you’re lucky, he’ll be temporarily awake so you can talk to him before they put him under again.” Heather glanced around, eyes finding the elevator down at the far end of the hallway. “I’ll see you later, kay?”

Marinette nodding, knowing she wouldn’t be seeing Heather again. It sounded reassuring, but…yet, she wouldn’t be back. Too busy to take care of one little girl in a sea of emergencies. Marinette wondered how busy the hospital got after each deadly akuma attack, how many ambulances were dispatched within an hour, and if any _were_ sent out, like with Syren, it would be impossible to get a vehicle out of there. They were lucky the hospitals in Paris had long since become reinforced against the elements to withstand akuma attacks.

Heather was gone before her thought process came to an end. Marinette took the time to glance around the waiting room, finding it surprisingly empty, not a soul in sight. She was alone with her thoughts, her feelings, her all-encompassing worry.

Marinette curled in on herself and began to sob, trembling all over from fear, from concern, from horror, from…everything. Emotions piled up within her chest, tumbling out in the form of tears. Her stress finally let loose, and wails broke from her mouth, bouncing off the walls and coming right back toward her. She ignored them in favor of creating new ones, the room soon filled with the sound of hysterical crying.

How long did she let her feelings get the better of her? Five minutes? Ten minutes? An hour? She wasn’t exactly sure. All she knew was that nothing changed in that waiting room, same light blue carpet, same whir of the fan, same beige walls. Same uncertainty. Same pain.

She was fairly certain she had dosed off into a grey area between wakefulness and unconsciousness. For, the next thing she knew, a nurse was shaking her awake, causing her to become completely aware of her hospital surroundings once more. It hurt, honestly.

“Are you okay?” He asked, taking a few steps back as Marinette rubbed her eyes.

“I’m…fine.” Marinette shrugged, sitting up as she dried the last, stubborn droplets of tears. “How…how is uh…Grandpa?”

“He woke up a minute ago.” The man said, worry pinching at his brows. “Dr. Marshall sent me to get you when he did. He’s delusional, though. Thinks Hawkmoth kidnapped him.”

Marinette was on her feet instantly, attempting to barrel past the nurse, who stopped her with a single arm.

“I have to warn you,” he said, shaking his head. His name tag read _Balance_, his last name. “He’s extremely unstable, he could pass out in a heartbeat, he could die even quicker. His heart stopped beating once already, we were barely able to revive him.”

Marinette tried to forge forward once more, but Nurse Balance stopped her again. “We confirmed it was indeed a heart attack. Try not to get him too excited, alright?”

“I’ll do my best.” Marinette nodded, and Balance finally stood to the side.

He didn’t speak or try to hold her back after that, but he did ensure sure that she charged into the right room. Marinette didn’t give Balance or any of the other doctors and nurses a second glance as she threw herself into the chair beside Master Fu, fingers curling around his tiny, frail hand.

When she arrived, he had been too busy quietly wagging his finger at the doctor and other nurse, weakly scolding them for teaming up with Hawkmoth. However, when Marinette took his hand, his brown eyes turned to her, relief sparking in them.

“Mar-Marinette…” he croaked in surprise, “wh-what are you d-doing here?”

“This is a hospital, Ma…Grandpa.” She stammered, trembling. “You had a heart attack..”

His brown eyes turned to the doctors, and he frowned. “O-oh, my deepest-est apologies, my-y friendss.”

“Yes, well, we’re glad we could be of assistance, but…Mr.…?”

“Wang.” Marinette and Master Fu said in harmony, exchanging a quiet, knowing glance.

“We’re going to try to put you in surgery in a few minutes.” Doctor Marshall said, glancing at the clipboard in his female nurse’s hands. “Staying awake for very long could be quite dangerous for your already precarious health.” _A nice way of saying that he could die_. “We’re going to let you two have some time alone while we’re doing some last-minute preparations, but…”

“Of course.” Marinette nodded, desperate to have them leave. “Go ahead. Please.”

The medics nodded, exchanging some looks.

“Enjoy this time with each other.” The nurse warned simply, miming her senior’s way of speaking with dangerous messages hidden in sweet words. “Mademoiselle, you won’t see your Grandfather for a while after this.” _He can die at any minute. Enjoy the last few minutes._

Marinette nearly choked into tears once more, only smiling stiffly as she bit her lip.

The nurses and doctors hooked up a few last scans, then left the room quietly, sighing amongst themselves as they left.

Marinette watched their retreating forms go out the door, closing the door until it rested against the doorframe, not completely closed, but mostly shut to give them quite a bit of privacy.

She opened her purse, allowing Tikki and Wayzz full entry out of the bag, letting them know it was safe for them to leave.

Wayzz sprang instantly to his master’s side, and Master Fu’s gaze drifted slightly over to his apprentice, his Padawan, if you will. Marinette.

"Th-there are a-a lot of-of thingss I regre-regret." Master Fu told Marinette; brown eyes dulled with pain as a tight frown enveloped his face. Wayzz lay curled against the old man's right cheek, trembling in fear and remorse.

"I regret…regret not spending as-as muchhh time with-with Marianne as I could. I wish-wish I had loved-loved her dearly, perhaps-haps met-t up with her before-before Hawkmoth had ever come into pl-play. Perhaps, then, she-she and I would-would have moved a-way to Rome to live, and Hawkmoth would have found his attempts-attempts fruitless and given-en up long ago."

"Master…" Marinette rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand, shaking her head in a slow rhythm. Sorrow welled up in her chest, and she wondered why this felt so much like goodbye. "If not for you staying in France, I never would have met Chat Noir, or became who I am today."

"Tr-true." Master Fu relented gently, shrugging, "Cha-Chat Noir wass one of-of the best-best holders in his-history. A fine, stro-strong, young man who was selfless and compass-compassionate, putting ever-everyone else's safety before-before his own. I wish oth-others had taken after hiss ex-example…"

"I do, too, Master." Marinette breathed, green cat eyes flashing across her vision, and she could practically see him standing beside her, one hand laid on her shoulder, the other resting underneath Master Fu's palm. _Her dear Chaton._ "Chat Noir…was a good man."

Master Fu nodded, squeezing her hand. "Indee-indeed. Ano-another re-gret I-I hold iss not…not train-training him as I-I did for you."

Marinette only nodded at that, not sure what to say. It would have been nice to have her partner with her during training; she would have preferred it. But, it would have made his departure all the more difficult.

“H-he would-would ha-have made a-a fine accomp-accompaniment be-beside you, a-a partner in-in all things-s. I-I be-believe that…perhaps-perhaps h-he would-would have m-made your burden-burden eas-easier. Iff I-I could…could redo it…I would-would trai-train h-him, too.”

“It’s o-okay, Master. You did the best you did with the time you got. Besides…besides, you still have time. To fix your mistakes.”

“Oh…” He smiled, softly, kindly. “You-you know…know better than…than that.”

“Oh, Master...” Marinette said quietly, shaking her head. “Please…please don’t say stuff like that. Please.”

“You kn-know it-t to be t-true.” Master Fu continued, quietly. “Acc-accept it.”

Marinette cried dully.

“Let me bless you.” Master Fu said, regaining enough strength to make his voice clear. “I-I h…have to admit I know…know about you and Aspik’s bond. And I bless you. I bless your relationship, and I bless your life. I bless that the two of you will always love and have an abundant time with one another, full of love.” With that, his voice broke once more, and tears welled up in his eyes. “D-do wh-what I ne-never did. A-after Hawk-Hawkmoth, please…please tell th-the other-other G-Guardians wha-what hap-happened. Pl-please.”

“I will, Master. Please s-stay.” Marinette sobbed, clutching him. “Pl-please.”

“Dr-dry your eyes-eyes, child-d.” Master Fu smiled sadly, tilting his head in sympathy. “M-my time has-s come-come, a-and y-you kn-know it-t.”

Marinette let out another cry, shaking her head. “I know, I know… but…I just lost Chat Noir! I can’t lose you, too!”

“Ch-chat Noir will n-never lea-leave you.” Master Fu smiled. “H-he will-will always be b-by you-your s-side, even if-if you don’t kn-know it.” He chuckled slowly, pulling his frail, shaking hand from her grasp and touching her head. “A-and my-my teachings will…will be in yo-your mind. Al-always.”

Marinette sobbed as his hand fell back onto the bed. He grinned back at her, summoning the last of his strength. “I-I, Wa-wang Fu, g-give up-up my-y role of Guard-guardian,” he alit with a bright light, white and blinding, unlike any glow Marinette had ever seen before, “and here-hereby ch-choose La-Ladybug, Mar-marinette-ette Du-pain-Cheng, a-as be-being the-the new Guard-guardian.”

Next to her the cooler, which Marinette had constantly kept beside her since she left the Inn, began to tremble, and between the cracks of the lid, the same glow covering Master Fu began to shine, a large similar akin to that of the Guardian symbol spreading across the floor, circling around the cooler. After a few seconds, it shrank back into that which it came.

Peeling her eyes from the cooler, Marinette turned back to Master Fu, “M-master…” she began, opening her mouth to begin to beg him once again. To plead with him to listen to her, and-

The heartbeat monitors lay flat, a high-pitched shriek sounding through the air.

And this time…the doctors couldn’t revive him.


	23. Leave Out All The Rest (Linken Park)

Marinette shivered, drawing the blanket tighter around her as she stared at the ladybug-themed Miracle Box at her feet. The onyx spots twinkled up at her, glimmering in the light pouring down from her sunroof.  
Fifteen Kwamis floated all around her room, a few of the more curious and hungry ones nibbling on objects, some shy, withdrawn ones gazing out the window longingly, and a few more in the safe enclosure of her diary’s case as they sobbed together over the loss of their Guardian.  
Wayzz had not made a sound since he and his brethren - were sisteren a thing? - bid Master Fu a last farewell in that hospital room after the doctors had let her alone once more after trying and failing to revive him.  
The green Kwami floated silently beside Marinette, tears sitting unshed at the rims of his yellow eyes.  
Both sat and stared at the Miracle Box, uncertain what to do.  
Wayzz, who had spent all of the last 170 years by Master Fu’s side. Who had seen him go through guilt, through love, through joy, through love. Who knew him better than anyone.  
Marinette, who was terrified of her new responsibility. She had been trained until she knew everything she needed to know, but that didn’t mean she was ready!! She probably never would be ready, even though she knew it one day would happen, but being dropped into it head-first with no warning didn’t help.  
Tikki didn’t stay beside Marinette, instead preferring to keep herself occupied with tending to the other Kwamis and helping them get their bearings in this strange and new place. It was evident, however, that all the Kwamis were not too particularly happy with their situation. Many – including Longg and Roaar – pretending as if everything was fine, though the moment they thought none of the other Kwamis were looking, they floated into the walls to sulk.  
Ziggy and Kaalki tried to drift off into the kitchen, and Tikki had barely been able to stop them before they did; Sabine was in the kitchen. After hearing that Marinette’s client had died, she had decided that she’d be right beneath her daughter in case she needed it.  
Marinette was only thankful her mom hadn’t tried to interrogate her, yet still was there, just in case.  
Marinette raised her eyes from the Miracle Box, finding Orikko off to the side as she curiously pecked at some beads off in the corner.  
Then Ziggy and Kaalki comforting each other, close to the trapdoor.  
Longg, Mullo, and Fluff arguing quietly, the rodents teaming up against the fire-breathing dragon as they waved their arms frantically. After a bit, Mullo and Longg both turned a fiery gaze on Fluff, scolding her for something inaudible, before all three turned to look at Marinette. Marinette raised her hand in a small wave, offering them a sad smile. All three of them went back to whispering, and, eventually, Fluff and Longg began wrestling Mullo.  
“How are you two?” Tikki inquired, tilting her head as she neared Marinette and Wayzz, looking so done with trying to stop Rroar from pouncing on Stompp.  
“I’m fine.” Marinette said, using the age-old maxim that meant ‘I’m totally not fine and will soon die because I’m so depressed’.  
“Indeed.” Wayzz agreed, nodding his head slightly as he stared up at Marinette with yellow and green eyes. “We’re coping.”  
“Yes.” Marinette echoed. “Coping.” Where’s Chat Noir when you need him? I just want to hug him for all eternity. He’d never let go.  
He would be there and would know how to comfort me. He always does, after all. If he was here…  
Her eyes landed on her chaise, and she pictured Chat Noir sitting cross-legged on it, surrounded by the Kwamis. Mind-Chat hummed comfortingly to them, cuddled with them as he helped them cheer up. He looked up at her, and grinned, and –  
Marinette growled low in her throat, earning a surprised look from Wayzz, Tikki, and other Kwamis that were nearby. She didn’t spare them a second glance as she allowed her anger to overcome her. She trembled in rage, fixating her eyes on the place where she had imagined Chat Noir only a moment before. She wished she could just –   
– the Miracle Box crashed through the area, slamming into the window behind her chaise – thankfully not shattering the glass – and landed onto the ground behind the piece of bed-like furniture with a huge crashing noise, the drawers flying from it and scattered across the floor.  
Marinette froze, horror building up as the Kwamis fled, into walls, boxes, and one into her computer. Only a couple limbs stuck out of various hiding spots, and occasionally a head appendage.  
All were terrified, shocked of Marinette's behavior, perhaps fearing an abusive holder.  
Only Tikki didn't retreat, and Wayzz only drifted into the bed enough that his bottom half was gone, head still peering up at her from the sheets.  
Marinette sat rigid, staring down at her hands – her terrible, pale hands which had thrown the Miracle Box, her legacy. The thing she was supposed to protect.  
“Marinette?” Oh, Kwamis on a cracker, Marinette had forgotten about her mother. Sabine sounded panicked; her daughter could hear her first footstep on the stairs up to the loft, yet Marinette was quick to stop her, scrambling from her bed.  
“Um, yeah, Mom! I’m fine!” She yelled, struggling to keep her tone even. “I tripped and dropped some things; it’s all good!” She dashed over to the Miracle Box, thankful to find it wasn’t even slightly damaged in any way.  
A beat of hesitation from her mother’s part, but thankfully the petite woman didn’t make any noises of advancing further. “Well…alright, dear.” Another pause. “I’m needed down in the bakery…Will you be okay by yourself?”  
By herself. Chat Noir left her by herself, too. So did Master Fu. But Chat was different - he had a choice.  
Marinette shook it off, nodding towards the trap door. “Yes, I just need some time alone!” Her voice broke with a choked back sob, but she ignored it.  
“If you say so.” Sabine sounded doubtful. “There’s Chicken Noodle Soup on the stove, set to simmer. Have as many helpings as you like!”  
“Thank you!” Marinette smiled sadly; thankful her mother couldn’t see her trembling figure. What did she do to deserve such wonderful parents? Nothing, that’s what.  
Her mother left, footsteps retreating as they excited the front room, door closing.  
Marinette sagged against the ground, scooping up the drawers of the Miracle Box that had been scattered about. She pressed them back into their proper places, ignoring the Kwamis as they edged closer.  
The Kwamis quietly murmured to one another as they gradually left their hiding places, shaking in fear.  
Above them all, one single voice stood out.  
“See?” Marinette heard Mullo declare from his spot beside Fluff and Longg. “I told you she wouldn’t be a good Guardian.”  
“Yes, she will be!” Fluff disagreed cheerfully. “At least, she will be! Or has she already been? Is this after or before her trip? In the future, or is it the past? There’s no such thing as the present! I know that she’s the greatest Guardian! But, how great is the greatest when it was already great?”  
“Do not be so hasty to judge.” Longg sighed at Mullo, mostly ignoring Fluff, as he at least tried to be quiet. “Patience, Mullo.”  
Mullo squeaked in defiance, turning his tiny head away from the reptile. "I still stand by it. Powerful Miraculous Holder or no, she's not Master Fu!"  
Marinette's joints locked up, and she stared blankly at her wood floor, shoulders beginning to shake as tears streamed down her face.  
"Hey!" Tikki shrieked in anger, shaking a tiny hand at Mullo. "You better behave! I'll either deal with you myself or get Plagg to visit! He'll steal all your cheese, and you'll be sorry then! Or maybe Cataclysm your Miraculous out of existence!"  
Mullo ducked his head, completely heeding Tikki's words, taking her threat extremely seriously. Never mess with the Guardian of Creation, rule one.  
He didn't apologize for the insults against Marinette, though, instead sitting down in a corner with his back to everyone else.  
"Don't take it personally." Longg told Marinette, ignoring the sulking Mullo. "He's just a bit…temperamental, but he gets better when you get to know him."  
Roaar chimed in at that point, smiling sympathetically. "Yeah, he's a real pal when you get to know him."  
Marinette ignored them, turning to Mullo and taking a few steps over. "Mullo, I'm…sorry. I'm just so stressed, and I miss Chat, and I need him to help me, but he's not here, and he might never be again, but…I'm sorry. I'm missing him and Master Fu and everything is just so stressful, an-"  
"And you need to leave me alone!" Mullo snapped. "I need time to simmer down but you're not letting me! Scram! Isn't that what humans always say to mice? 'Scram'? Yeah, that's just perfect."  
Marinette stiffened, bluebells eyes widening as her apology failed. "I'm sorry, Mullo. I'll leave you in peace."  
Marinette walked slowly over to her chaise, pulling the Miraculous spread across the blankets off one by one, stashing them in the drawers. The Kwamis didn't even resist or look surprised as they allowed themselves to return to the confined quarters of the Miracle Box.  
Marinette put away the Mouse Miraculous locket third to the last, then gave Tikki and Wayzz a nervous look.  
"Wayzz, I'll bring you back out in a moment, okay?"  
Wayzz bowed, accepting his fate.  
Once he, too, was devoid of physical form, Marinette turned back to Tikki, shuddering.  
"Need some time alone?" The Kwami assumed, eyes speaking more than words ever could.  
"Five minutes. Without Ladybug, without Guardianship, without…" without Chat Noir.  
"Remember me." Tikki silently begged. "Put me back on immediately after you're done."  
"I will." Marinette promised, slipping off her earrings as Tikki vanished into a pink light. "See you soon…"  
The moment Marinette was alone, she stashed the Box nobody would find it, where she couldn't see it, and curled up in the middle of the floor.  
A sob left the teenager as she collapsed fully, grief crashing down on her.   
(:)  
Anger, second stage of grief. I’m sorry, Marinette.


	24. Hearing (Sleeping At Last)

Aspik showed up exactly on time, landing lightly on top of the Eiffel Tower. He inhaled deeply, grinning as the icy cold air touched his lips and entered his lungs. It felt cleansing, the sharp coldness jolting him awake. “Hello, Dotty!” He called, spotting his partner – and girlfriend!! – sitting off to the side. He had been brainstorming for the last week about a new pet name for her and could not think one up for the life of him. Freckles? Apple? Maybe…Spots? Spots was good. He shoulda said ‘Spots’.

Ladybug hardly regarded his presence, the only clue a slight head tilt. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, arms crossed against her knees and her head resting atop it all. She faced the opposite direction of the sunset, and, instead, preferred to face the moon as it began to glow in the twilight sky.

His brow – or, at least that which could be seen of it – furrowed in confusion, and he slipped down beside her, watching her face in worry.

Everything from her nose down was covered by her arms, and her eyes were screwed tightly shut. He could tell she was trying not to cry, eyebrows quivering and eyelashes fluttering as she tried to stubbornly remain glued into her own world.

Aspik ground his teeth together, anger churning at her stomach. Whoever dared hurt her, dared make his girlfriend upset, well, they would pay. Maybe Chat Noir could pay that person a visit and Cataclysm them – one death couldn’t ruin his reputation anymore – or perhaps get Bananoir to sit creepily in the middle of their room. Aspik might be able to toss him off the Eiffel Tower. He just needed to know his victim.

He scooted close to her so that their legs almost touched, tucking one arm behind her back and leaning against her.

She inhaled sharply, hands curling into fists as they gripped her forearms. Her blue eyes opened, flickering up toward him. Aspik didn’t miss the flash of disappointment in her gaze as she stared up at him, as if she had wanted him to be someone completely different, but, instead, got him. It was replaced quickly by slight gratitude, drowned down by exhaustion. “Hi, ‘Pix.” She murmured, using her own nickname for him. (He loved how cute it sounded. Like a pixie.)

“Hi, Spots.” He whispered, titling his head against hers. She returned in kind, cheek nestling against his shoulder. “Are you okay? You look…” he didn’t complete the sentence. Every adjective could be interpreted as an insult, and that was not a thing he wanted to have on his ‘Being a Boyfriend’ record.

Ladybug seemed to realize the same and didn’t try to fill in the empty space with adjectives, opting to nod instead. “I know what I look like… And right now, don’t think I am. Okay, I mean. I don’t think I’m okay, and I know it’s showing through what I look like, and I’m sorry, because you don’t deserve to have to deal with an upset girlfriend. I wish I could fake being happy, but I can’t and-“

“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help…” Aspik said thoughtfully, squeezing her shoulders gently as he tried to comfort her, trying to behave as Chat Noir had so many times in the past when he was trying to cheer her up.

She relaxed, tension leaving her shoulders at the gentle movement. “You’re so good to me, ‘Pix. I’m not…I don’t think…you can’t help me, really. I can’t tell you, even though I want to, and I’m…” she went rigid again, inhaling sharply. She shivered, shoulders trembling as she tried with all of her might not to cry.

“Hey.” Aspik said, withdrawing from her side and adjusting his position so that he could face her properly. “It’s okay, you know. I won’t judge if you tell me.” He tilted her chin up so that he could look at her properly. “If I can’t handle a bad day now, how will I be expected to in the future? In sickness and in health, you know.”

She didn’t laugh like he hoped she would. Instead, she dipped her head and avoided his gaze. “I don’t…not want to tell you. It’s just…unfair. Unfair to…to…”her hands curled into fists, and he could practically feel her glaring daggers. “to him.”

Aspik, if he had been Chat Noir, and a real cat, would have bristled. He knew she was referring to his original alter ego, but he didn’t know why she sounded so angry. She understood his reasonings, right? She understood why he left, right? Right, of course!!…She had never seemed so angry at him, before. He didn’t understand why she was acting so sour.

“Did something happen?” He asked gently, getting more curious by the second. “Why would it be unfair to Chat Noir?”

She stiffened; obviously surprised that he had guessed so easily who it would be unfair to.

“You can tell me, Ladybug. We’re partners after all, right?”

She nodded slowly.

“You don’t have to tell me everything, just…insignificant details.”

“I-I…” she shuffled back, sobbing slightly. “I can’t tell you… I’m so sorry, you don’t deserve this, you don’t deserve me, a-and, I just…I’m sorry…”

“Shhh, shhh… It’s okay.” He said once more, hunching his shoulders and leaning forward so that he could look her directly in the eyes, comfortingly wrapping an arm around her. “I’m here for you no matter what, alright?”

She nodded stiffly, resting her head in her hands, the sobs she had been trying to contain finally released into the twilight air.

He pulled her back to him, this time lifting her into his lap. “If you want to cry, you may. I’m not going to judg--” the word wasn’t even fully out of his mouth before she began to profusely wail, shaking her head as if she was trying to stop herself.

“I just miss him so much, Aspik!” She sobbed, pounding one fist weekly against his shoulder. “He was supposed to always be there for me, but now he’s gone! He left me, and for what?! Because he…he…I don’t know why anymore! Why’d he have to be so selfish?! Can’t he see that I miss him?!”

“Oh, Spots…” he murmured, wrapping her up tighter as he felt a pang a guilt bury itself in his chest. He hadn’t meant to make her upset; he had thought it’d make her happy. No, he knew it’d make her happy, if she only gave it more time. She just had to get out all her upset feelings, and then she’d calm down, and feel better, and…

Sweet Kwami on a cracker, he had no idea how to help her through this.

“You know that Chat Noir didn’t mean to hurt you, right?” He questioned, swallowing down his worry that she’d explode on him in anger. He really didn’t want to see her furious; he knew first-hand how she acted when she was.

She growled deep in her throat, obviously not wanting to discuss it that much. “Well, of course he didn’t, but it’s still so selfish! He left me alone with little to no warning, just because ‘Oh, Paris doesn’t like me anymore’. Does he really care so much about what people think of him?! It doesn’t matter what people think of him! It only matters what he thinks of him!”

Aspik inhaled sharply, processing her words carefully. “Maybe he doesn’t like himself, either.”

“Are you kidding?" Ladybug growled, hands balling into fists as they wrapped around his back, hugging him even as she clenched her hands. Her fingers dug into her palms, and she trembled. "He's so big and full of himself…there's no way he's…he can't…"

"Those who smile the biggest are the ones who hurt the most." Aspik quoted the old maxim, squeezing her more ever so slightly.

"He'd tell me." Ladybug said with false confidence. "If he struggled with self-doubt, he'd let me know. That is, unless…"

"Unless…?"

"Oh my Kwamis." Ladybug hissed, tone low and threatening. "That stupid alley cat! I'm going to wipe that O'Malley smirk off his stupid, stupid face when next I see him! He's been suffering this whole time, hasn't he, and never told me! Blanc just pushed him over the edge, and he fell off a cliff I didn't even know he was standing on!"

Aspik frowned down at the locks of hair his nose was pushed into, wishing he could just transform into his original alter ego and say everything was okay. He would stare into her big, bluebell eyes and swear wholeheartedly that he could handle everything himself; he would never let a drop of stress land upon her pretty little head.

But he had to show self-control. For her. "He loved you so much." He whispered, settling for a milder version of his first thought process. "He probably just didn't want to worry you more."

"Wow." Ladybug sarcastically grumbled. "That sure worked out."

Aspik exhaled through his nose with mirth, the slight chuckle released hardly noticeable, even to him. Her sassy retorts, no matter how dark, were sorta cute. “It would make his day if he knew how worried you were about him.”

She just sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry…we shouldn’t…I don’t want… no talking about it…”

“As you wish.” He agreed, mimicking Westley’s tone.

Ladybug took no notice of his reference, which was unusual, because… well, he knew that if he was Chat Noir she’d probably punch him lightly in the arm and scold him. As Aspik…she laughed. It didn’t make much sense, but who was he to judge? She was incredible, and he was a mere sidekick.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, pushing him away weakly, shaking her head. “I-I can’t… I have to…” She stood up, leaving him behind with a sorrowful look backward. “I have to go. I’m sorry. I just…need some distance.”

“Of course.” Aspik nodded, offering her a small bow in a Chat-like fashion. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

She offered him a sad, small smile, then sighed through her nose. “Thank you.” Then, she jumped away, flying into the sky and out of sight.


	25. Can You See Me (Krista Siegfrids)

Marinette buried her face into her pillow, diving into the sheets with a light groan. Wayzz and Tikki alit upon her head, nestling themselves into her pigtails. She tilted her head slightly to regard the throw pillow on her chaise that she had stuffed the Miracle Box into. Just the sight of the pink fabric made her stomach churn, and she rapidly turned her attention away once again.

“It’s okay.” Wayzz comforted, nuzzling the back of her head. “Everything’s okay. You don’t have to bother with the Miraculous until you’re ready. You’re okay.”

“But I need to! It’s my responsibility!” Marinette whined, shaking her head. “I need to handle it; Master Fu trusted me, and I can’t fail him.”

“That is noble of you, but there’s really nothing wrong with taking a break or sometimes to recuperate.” Wayzz said, tilting his head. “Nobody will blame you.”

“Mullo will.” The teenager remorsefully whimpered, tilting her head towards the wall occupied with a billboard. Her friends’ faces stared back, faces gentle and happy. She missed not fighting with them. She missed them in general. She just wanted everything to go back to normal.

“No matter what you do,” Tikki said sorrowfully, voice filled with regret, “there’ll always be at least one person who doesn’t like you or agree with you. In this situation…that’s Mullo.”

“All of the Kwamis adored Master Fu.” Marinette pointed out, groaning, turning completely over so that she could face them both, sitting up straight and hugging her large cat-body pillow to her body.

Tikki and Wayzz exchanged a look, antennas seeming to droop; if they were mammals, surely their ears would be flopping instead.

“Well…not all of them.” Tikki admitted, sticking out her tongue. “Plagg and Master Fu tended to…disagree on a lot of matters. Master Fu was too strict, I think, and Plagg needed to be active, but he was encased in the Miracle Box for over one and a half centuries, and he just got…frustrated. I have no doubt that the moment he was free he got a huge burst of energy and refused to stop for anything.”

Marinette recalled Chat Noir complaining, long ago, about how when he first met Plagg, the Kwamis of Destruction had tried to eat everything and mess up everything in his room. It had made her laugh at the time and thinking about it again brought a tiny smile to her face.

“There’s that smile I missed.” Tikki cooed, rubbing her head against Marinette’s cheek.

Marinette’s smile wavered, cupping Tikki tightly. She noticed Wayzz hanging back uncertainly, and she gestured him to come closer so that she could squeeze him against her as well. He did so, hugging her back.

The blissful silence that followed was wonderful, filling Marinette’s body with peace.

Of course, it wasn’t completely silent, and she focused carefully on the little surrounding noises.

She could still hear the honking of cars outside, the traditional Chinese tunes her mother played in their family kitchen, the shouting of people parading through the streets, the caw of birds as they flew overhead, and the music blaring from cars as they zoomed past, radios turned on high.

Smells? Well, her house always had the aroma of fresh bread and cake, but she could also catch the whiff of her father’s scented candles, and the disgusting odor of hot glue.

She took all these things in; memorized them, allowed the peace of just listening to the world about her drift into her soul and guide her.

“How’re you feeling?” Tikki asked after several moments, looking up at her curiously.

“Good.” Marinette said, finding it true. “I’m okay. I’m still _furious_ at Chat Noir, but…” She clenched her hands shaking her head. “I can do better. I can _do this_.” Her fingers twitched as she looked toward the throw pillow, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to open the Miracle Box. I don’t need time to adjust.” She climbed down off her loft bed and advancing over to her chaise. “I just need to forge through my grief and go forth, to work through it all, and…” her hands hovered over the throw pillow, sensing the power that radiated from within, so many Kwamis, all in one spot. Their different energies knocking against one another, pulsing, beating entangling with one another. Her arm shaking, and she felt the overcoming fear beat inside her heart, afraid of what would happen if she wasn’t the best Guardian she could be; if she failed them, they could just blink, and all their powers together would smite her where she stood. No hesitation. Individually, she doubted they could do much, but all the Zodiac together – minus Sass and plus Trixx and Pollen – they could surely do the impossible.

And honestly, she was scared to face them again.

Tikki curled up on her shoulder, humming a lullaby quietly to Marinette. _Song of the Sea_, if Marinette was right.

“You don’t have to right now.” Wayzz repeated glancing at Marinette.

“I _want _to, though.” Marinette insisted, trembling where she stood, shaking her head. “_Want_ to be the best Guardian; I won’t avoid them. Not this time. But I want to be ready to face them, so I don’t….don’t scare them again or lose control before them.”

“You’re a good woman.” Wayzz said thoughtfully, smiling over at her. “And you’ll make such a fine Guardian.”

“Thank you, Wayzz.” Marinette giggled gently, smiling down at him. “I think,” Marinette looking at Tikki with determination. “I’m ready.”

Her fingers pressed on the two black circles perched at the top of the egg-shaped box, opening all of the drawers in one swift motion, akin to how Master Fu had long ago; except his button was at the back of the box instead.

She picked out the Miraculous jewelry at random, two at a time, lying them all out across the floor, taking a deep breath as she waited for thirteen of the miniature Guardians of the universe to congregate with her two already physicalized masters of Creation and Protection.

Kwamis beamed into being, multiplying around the room until all that were within the black poka-dotted Miracle Box were secured in the mortal realm.

“Hi, everyone!” Marinette welcomed weakly, prepared to be responded to by a series of complaining.

Instead, all the Kwamis - even Mullo, who seemed to have calmed down during his ‘time out’ - chimed together in blissful harmony. “Greetings, Master!”

“Please.” Marinette said, feeling tears begin to fight to reach her eyes, trying her best to force them down. Master was what they had dubbed Master Fu, but he had clearly earned it, she was just learning. A simple trainee. “ Just call me Marinette. Until I’ve been the best Guardian I can be, I don’t want to be called such a high title.”

“A wise choice, indeed, Marinette, to forsake the title so early on.” Longg agreed, a small smile pulling at his horned face, nodding wisely along with her assessment. “You will earn your – how do you say it nowadays? – stripes very nicely.”

Orikko nodded, glancing around at the small gathering of Kwamis around her. “We’re all here for you, Marinette!” She promised. “We’ll help you do the best you can as best as we’re able.”

Xuppu nodded, with a slight little sniff. “Yeah, if you want to be an amazing Guardian, we’re going to have to help you. It’s the best way to learn, to have teachers, and to learn where other Guardians failed.”

“I’ll learn however I can.” Marinette nodded, drawing herself as high up as she could, to her full height.

“Are you sure, Marinette?” Ziggy asked, worried. “It’s a sorrowful road, that one of a fully-trained Guardian.”

“Yes.” Marinette nodded. “I have to be the best Guardian I can; and…I think I’ve went through enough grief to last a lifetime.” She glared at the thought of Chat Noir’s goofy smile, shaking her head. “I can become a good Guardian, with all your help.”

Collectively, they all nodded, the faintest hint of a smile on Mullo’s face

“Go Marinette!” Daizzi yelled. “We believe in you!”

_Now_, Marinette thought, staring at the gathering of magical entities,_ if only I believed in myself._


	26. Love Someone (Lukas Graham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be going on Hiatus in two weeks! Next update will be its last for a while! Sorry!!

“How ya doing?” Aspik inquired, snuggling his face into his girlfriend’s soft, soft hair.

“Mmm…” Was all Ladybug said, adjusting her position so that her shoulder wasn’t squeezed against his chest.

“Never a good answer.” Aspik joked, fingers brushing through her locks, in a calm, comforting manner like he used to occasionally do as Chat Noir.

“Mhmm…?” Ladybug hummed, arching an eyebrow skeptically. “Is it?”

“For you it is.” He smiled faintly, allowing himself to come as close to a purr as he could without revealing his identity. “I may or may not know my girlfriend more then I let on.”

“Creepy stalker boyfriend?” She guessed.

“Creepy stalker boyfriend.” He confirmed, even though he had never spent even a second in his life stalking her. Hoarding picture of her, maybe, but most of them he had taken himself as Chat Noir with permission. (He could never allow her to see them, because she’d no doubt recognize some of them as her former partner’s handiwork.) And rereading articles on the Ladyblog several times, but that usually was used to fill up the loneliness in his soul when he was alone; it was as close as he got to his Lady during those quiet moments.

In his lap, Ladybug laughed, not taking him seriously, which was a relief. “Suuure. You’re too much of a sunshine child to be a stalker.”

Aspik snorted with mirth, shaking his head. “Sounds like my girlfriend knows more about her boyfriend then she lets on.”

Ladybug hysterically giggled, hiding her blushing face. “Maybe I do~! But you can’t prove anything!”

_There’s the Bugaboo I know and love. _He thought happily, closing his eyes as he exhaled, shoulders losing any and all tension. “I’m teasing. I’m teasing.”

She made a noise of acceptance, curling herself into a small ball so that she could be completely contained in his arms with little effort. He wrapped himself protectively around her, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head.

A comfortable silence drifted between them, the surrounding air peaceful and relaxing.

Aspik figured this was as good as a time to ask her. “So…” he hesitantly began, untangling one arm. “How’ve you been lately? After…your ‘can’t-talk-about-it problem’?”

Ladybug froze, shoulders regaining their tension. “Oh.” She seemed to recall their last encounter, sinking into herself even more than before. “I-I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry.” Aspik apologized, shoulders sinking. “I…uh…probably ruined the mood, didn’t I?”

“O-oh! No, no!” Ladybug protested loudly, shaking her head. “No, no, you just….that’s not what I meant at all, I swear!”

“I know, but I just feel like-”

“’Pix, calm down.” She said quietly, pulling her arms out of the tight circled she had made around herself, reaching over to hug him tightly. “A relationship has to have honesty, and I’m…glad you asked or else I would have avoided it.”

He paused, not certain of her logic. He hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “I’m here for you, if you want to talk. Or if you want me to do anything for you at all. That’s what I’m here for.”

The smallest smile ever graced Ladybug’s lips, and she looked up at him thankfully. “I’m not sure if there’s anything you _can_ do. I…” she hesitated, shaking her head slowly. “I _really_ miss Chat Noir; I think he’s the only one I can really talk to about this without…I don’t know. I think I might be…technically ‘betraying’ him because it took me so long to talk to him about things like this, and even though we’re together, you and I…”

“It’s okay. I understand.” He comforted, finding that his heart beat a little faster as he realized that she wanted her reactions to the two of them to be fair. That she did not wish to favor Aspik just because they were together; if this was something it took months for her to talk Chat Noir about, then she would wait months until she spoke to Aspik about the same thing. It was so different form when she first enlisted Aspik, back during Desperada. Back when she ensured him that Chat Noir was not needed for anything, not needed to complete the mission.

“I want to talk to him. To Chat Noir.” Ladybug whimpered, shaking her head. “But I have no idea where he is, and I don’t know how to get him to come back, much less talk to him-”

“Hey.” Aspik crooned, fingers curling around her protectively. “ I think I have a solution. What if you use your yo-yo to text his baton? He might never see it until he transforms again, but it can serve as a kind of diary. You can ‘talk’ to him about anything, and just let it all out.”

Ladybug paused, head tilting thoughtfully. “…well. Maybe. It sounds…”

“Weird? Edgy? Creepy?” He jokingly inquired, leaning against her. “Or just plain strange?”

She rewarded his weird adjectives with a small laugh. “The last one. I’m…I’m not sure if I should. Or can. I’m not exactly certain if-”

“It could also be a way to show that you’re thinking of him and keeping him updated on how you’re doing.” Apsik interrupted, leaning forward eagerly. “If he’s half the person he seemed like, I’m sure he’s worried about you.”

Wow. This _was_ extremely weird, referring to himself in third person. He could only hope that Ladybug didn’t notice if he accidentally let slip something only Chat Noir was supposed to know, especially if she began to text his other alter ego. Then, he was in serious trouble. (She could never know. She’d hate him for it.)

“I’m sure he would be. That he is.” She shook her head, sighing quietly. “That’s the problem. I don’t…if I told him I was upset or something, he’d just feel guilty and I don’t want that from him. As much as I want him back, it was his choice to leave, so it should be his decision to come back, and I shouldn’t be the one to alter him.”

“That’s true.” Aspik admitted, thankful for her thoughtfulness. “But you can certainly talk to him if you feel like it’d made you feel better. He’d probably agree with me.”

“Oh, I know he would.” Ladybug conceded, sighing. “But that’s the problem. I just…” an odd expression crossed her face, and she shook her head. “I don’t know anymore. And that’s the problem.”

“Need more time to yourself?”

She paused. “If you don’t mind. I’m…I’m not going to go home, but I think I need to be by myself for a few minutes.”

“I’ll start patrol.” Aspik decided, allowing her out of his lap. “And you catch up later?”

“That sounds good.” Ladybug agreed, pushing herself to her feet as she scrambled away. “I’m sorry for ditching you. And not allowing you to help.” She added, frowning uncertainly at her.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to tell me everything before I ever agreed to join.” He assured her, smiling. “I know what I signed up for. I’m fine with it.”

“Okay.” She faintly smiled, watching him give her a quick little bow then leap away.

Ladybug watched him leap off in the direction of the Trocadero, disappearing into the distance. The last she saw of him was a dark outline rimmed by the light of the moon, shining brightly, before disappearing into the rest of night sky.

“Tikki. Spots off.” Ladybug whispered, letting the familiar magic wash over her and leave clumsy Marinette in her place.

Tikki bolted from the twin earrings, her two halves joining together rapidly and forming the complete Kwami. She landed in her Chosen’s outstretched hand, stretching. “Marinette, why here?” She inquired, referring to Marinette’s choice of a detransformation area.

“I didn’t want to go home right now, but I wanted to talk to you.” Marinette admitted, with a small sigh, shaking her head gently as she handed Tikki a pastry. “I want a…third opinion, I guess. Aspik and I-”

“I heard.” Tikki interrupted quietly, nodding, taking a large bit of her macaroon. “I’m…not sure, Marinette.”

“I feel like I’d be betraying Aspik if I did. Like I’m talking to someone behind his back which should just be between us.”

“He’s the one who suggested it; I highly doubt he’d feel betrayed.” Tikki pointed out, smiling. “It sounded like he really wanted you to.”

“I know, but…” Marinette shook her head.

“If you really feel like it’s wrong and betraying him, don’t do it.” The female Kwami shrugged. “If you want to, do it.”

Marinette paused. “I…I want to talk to Chat Noir in any way I possibly can. I just didn’t want to offend Aspik or hurt him.”

“You won’t.” Tikki promised, a secret smile tugging at her lips. “You should go talk to – or text – Chat Noir, since it’ll make you so happy.”

“I will.” Marinette agreed, nodding at Tikki quietly. “But…first, I think I promised Aspik a patrol.”

“Say the words!” Tikki smiled, gobbling up the last of the cookie.

“Spots on!” The magic washed over Marinette again, this time in reverse, pulling Tikki into both earrings. She waited until the pink flash stopped, then leaped after her boyfriend into the night.


	27. NWLY (Hayd)

_From; Ladybug_

_To; Chat Noir_

_ Dear Chat Noir, or…my dearest Kitty, or…or…I never know how to start these things. _

_ To whom it may concern doesn’t sound right either …I’m not sure how exactly I’m supposed to start. _

_ I’ll just say I miss you and go from there. _

_ Chat, I miss you. I really, really do. I’m not sure if you’ll ever read these, but Aspik told me it’d make me feel better, writing a message to you a day. He says he used to do it with his mother. I’m sure you’ve watched the news, at very least, so you’ll know who Aspik is. If you don’t, he’s the new snake hero, my partner. Oh, and in case you’re curious, yes, he’s different from Viperion. Aspik is sweet and thoughtful…sometimes he sounds like you. Once or twice I’ve even thought he was you. _

_ He won’t replace you, though. He’s like a folded book page. It’s temporarily there while the bookmark is missing, but quickly smoothed back when the bookmark is found and put back in its place. _

_ Chat Noir, I’m going to be frank with you. Lately I’ve been stressed. I want to tell you why in person, so I will when you come back. I swear, Kitty, when you return, I’ll hug you and never let you go. _

_ Please, please come back. I need you. _

–

Ladybug sent the message, the first of – probably – many, sitting down heavily onto her sunchair, closing her eyes tightly. She had spoken more to Aspik after their patrol the day before and had figured out that Tikki was right; he would not feel betrayed if she sent messages and had actually explained that he had done the same with his mother.

She still doubted Chat Noir would feel grateful to receive messages of her complaining, but, alas, she still did it.

“Tikki, spots off.” She said quietly, standing up and making her way off her balcony and down below to her room.

Within the – technically – six walls of her room, Marinette had moved several of Master Fu’s pieces of furniture from his old apartment – which he apparently had never sold – including a miniature, traditional Chinese kitchen. She used the kitchen to make the magical formulas for the Kwamis and practice creating their preference of food.

Her parents hadn’t understood how she was able to afford a kitchen, much less why she wanted one when there was full-sized kitchen directly below. Despite their confusion, they had helped her move the furniture up to her room, albeit hesitantly.

Marinette was fairly lucky her parents were so cool with the whole thing, or else she would have had to do the mixing in the actual kitchen and risk having her parents accidentally stumble across her experiments and asking what she was doing.

And Marinette was sick of lying.

Marinette was thankful for Master Fu’s planning; the previous Guardian had saved her a vial of Tears of Joy, something Marinette surely would have been unable to get her hands on due to how upset she had been lately. A few other items which would have been much too expensive for her had made their way into a suitcase Master Fu had left in his old house, labeled _To Ladybug_. A flash drive of the Grimoire had been left in the Miraculous Box’s empty Ladybug Earring slot, a cheat sheet to the coded puzzle within the magical book’s pages included in a word document in the flash drive. In the barren Black Cat Ring selection, a small key to Master Fu’s locker sat. (The locker contained a letter to Marinette, a few ways to contact Marianne, and a piece of paper telling her all of the Kwamis’ favorite foods and the magical elixirs, and half of a map of the world, pointing to several places were lost Kwamis were.) In the areas where the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous were supposed to be, the second half of the map to the Kwamis sat, this also divided in two, so that a quarter of the map sat in both holds. A few other extra responsibilities found themselves on a list in the Snake Ouroboros Bracelet’s box.

Marinette knew this would cause her a lot of work to fulfill them all, to even be able to complete half of all the things she needed to do.

She was already exhausted, ready to fall over at any minute from the sheer stress it put her through, trying to organize everything and create all the needed potions.

So much so, she had resisted from the almost weekly Girls’ meeting, and had canceled her get-together with Kagami, to her deepest regret.

The responsibilities of being Ladybug, of being a Guardian had hit her full force, had surrounded and pressed down on her, and now, alas, no time was left for her personal life. She barely found enough time to do her own chores about the house.

Homework was a hinderance, gaining the strength to wake up each morning even more so, her preference to the night hindering her.

School took up more than half her day, and Akumas, though only occurring once every one or two weeks, were tiring. Patrol, on the other hand, was wonderful, and the highlight of Marinette’s day, where she was able to see her boyfriend. Barely any time had passed since Master Fu’s death, but, already, she was aware of her absolute joy whenever she was with Aspik, and her absolute bitterness when it came to Chat Noir.

She was aware of her pain, and she accepted it. She didn’t want to, but she had to understand that she probably needed help. Help that even her dozen Kwamis were unable to give.

Marinette sighed into the portable sink, shaking her head lightly. She had much to do, and she wouldn’t do it by just sitting still, and-

“Marinette!” Her mother’s voice called from the living room, voice echoing up the stairs. “You have company!”

Marinette straightened in surprise, glancing over to the floor. Who could possibly be visiting her? Maybe Kagami visiting while she had some extra time? Luka hoping to take her ice-skating? _<strike>(Chat Noir? Maybe?)</strike>_

Marinette grabbed the sink handles, using some of the precious bits of water in her storage tank to clean off her face, wipe off any sweat and tears and try to cool off her red face. She grabbed the nearby towel, drying off her face quickly. “Coming, Mom!”

She took a deep breath before launching herself over to the trap door, waving her arm urgently at the Kwamis, warning them to get out of the line of the sight of her trap door entrance. They obeyed, all backing off and circling into nearby surfaces. They even went away from the windows as well.

Marinette forced a cheerful smile onto her face, straightening her shoulders carefully as she peered down into the living room, where her mother was waiting. Sabine greeted her with a wave, smiling. “They’re down in the bakery, sweetie.”

“Who is it?” Marinette inquired, following her maternal parent out of the room.

“Your friends. Alya, Alix, Rose, Juleka, and Mylene. There was also that nice girl you’ve been hanging out with lately, what was her name?”

“Lila?” Marinette questioned, gut clenching. If the girls had brought along that _liar_ even while knowing Marinette really did not want that girl around at _all, _they were asking for trouble.

“Oh!” Sabine gasped, whirling on Marinette with a horrified look. “Heavens, _no._ After everything you’ve told us about _her_ I’d never let her in this bakery, much less think of her as _nice._ No, no, this one has that short, dark hair, and that fenc- oh! Kagami! Was that it? Yes, her name is Kagami.” Sabine nodded, continuing on her way.

“Usually she doesn’t come with them.” Marinette mumbled in confusion, looking down at her feet as she padded along.

She was going to have to keep her friends out of her room; if they accidentally stumbled across the Kwamis, there’d be trouble. And, even more likely, if Alya, Alix, or Kagami saw their Miraculous they’d surely figure out her identity. They’d certainly wonder about the kitchen and have more questions than her parents did, not to mention would be pushier.

She could hang out with them in the living room, for ten minutes at most, then she had to come back to her room and continue her training from the Kwamis and her Guardian ‘homework’ and everything. Not long with them. But enough to quench any worries they might have.

Her mother re-entered the bakery, taking over the cash register from her father.

The six girls all looked up with varying expressions when Marinette entered, different degrees of excitement upon them. Juleka and Kagami both, to the average person, looked blank, but those who truly know them could tell they were eager.

“Marinette!” Alya greeted, jumping the bluenette giddily, wrapping an arm around her best friend’s shoulders. “Wow, you look terrible!” She ribbed, thrusting a finger into her chest.

“Thanks, Alya.” Marinette snorted, dodging around her friends’ limbs. “What are you all doing here?”

“We haven’t seen you or talked to you in days!” Rose said, catching Marinette in her arms and clinging on.

“Or weeks.” Kagami said with a small smile.

“I saw most of you just yesterday!” Marinette protested, wiggling out of Rose’s grip.

“Com’n, Pigtails, that was school.” Alix said, popping a bubble of gum with a loud _smack_. “It doesn’t count.”

Kagami wrinkled her nose at Alix, looking disgusted. “Didn’t I see you pick that off of the ground?”

“Maybe.” Alix said, and continued chewing.

“Would you girls mind going upstairs?” Sabine asked, glancing over at them. “We’re expecting a rush of costumers at any minute now, and too, and while we’re pleased to see you…”

“Right.” Marinette nodded up in confirmation, waving them all upstairs. “Com’n, girls. However, you can’t stay long; I’m in the middle of a project.”

“Right.” Mylene agreed, who knew the importance of art projects and that Marinette usually needed quiet – with the exception of some quiet music - while she was doing them. “I need to head out in ten minutes, anyway. I promised Ivan we could go see a romantic movie today.”

“Aw, how cute!” Rose crooned, and Kagami and Juleka exchanged a look of disinterest. “Which movie?”

“I’m not sure; he said it was a surprise!” Mylene chirped, twiddling with her braids of fake hair. “We’ll see! But, while I’m waiting on that… what project are you working on, Marinette?”

“Oh, uh…” Marinette opened the door to her living room and waved them in. “Nothing! Just a bunch of little stuff, you know?”

“Ah. Just make sure you can get them all done.” Kagami reminded her, sitting down elegantly on the couch. “If you focus on many, it can be hard to complete any.”

“Oh, haha, yeah.” Marinette agreed, about to follow them, when Orikko dove through the floorboards, hovering in front of Marinette urgently, eyes blown open wide. “Oh!! Uh, you guys go on! I think Uncle J – uhh, I mean, Mr. Stone, I mean JAGGED STONE’s calling me!” She slammed the door, then turned to the chicken Kwami, glaring. “Orikko! Someone could have seen you!”

“I know, I’m sorry Marinette, but it was an emergency!” Orikko insisited, staring up. “Mullo wanted to ride Kaalki by shrinking, but Longg said it was too dangerous, but Mullo wanted to, anyway, so Longg said we should ask you!”

“Tell Mullo to _please_ listen to Longg. But I have _friends _over, so I can’t pull a Guardian and stop them, okay?”

“Okay!” Orikko said, shooting back upstairs. Marinette went to open the door, when the rooster returned, bouncing about. “Wait! I forgot; Roaar wanted to ask if he could play with your ball of yarn!”

“Yes, just tell him not to untangle it too much.” Marinette sighed, shaking her head. “Anything else?”

“Barkk wants a granola bar.”

“I’ll get that for her.” Marinette groaned in disbelief, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Barkk wants _two_ granola bars.”

“Sure, fine.”

“…Barkk wants _six_ granola bars.”

“Ugh! Okay! I’ll bring her the whole box!” Marinette hissed, managing to keep her voice low. “Anything else?!”

“Um…” Orikko hummed thoughtfully, cocking her head. “Nope! That was it.”

“It better have been.” Marinette threatened, glaring at the chicken, waiting for her to leave the line of the sight of the door. She opened it up, smiling at the girls. “Sorry about that!”

“You sounded frustrated, Marinette, is everything okay?” Alya asked, tilting her head in worry, biting her lip.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Marinette smiled. “It was a bot, not Clara Nightingale.”

“Clara Nightingale? I thought you said Jagged Stone?” Rose blinked in confusion, tilting her head.

“Oh! Uh-huh… I mean…musical…people, am I right?” Marinette shrugged. “I don’t really remember what I said…uh, hahahaha!” Curse her confusion and stupidity!

“Marinette gets confused, remember?” Juleka mumbled to her best friend, nudging her.

“Oh, right! Teehee, sorry!” Rose giggled stupidly, shaking her blonde locks. “My bad, Marinette!! I meant no insult!”

“No insult taken.” Marinette said, letting a smile appear on her lips. She was wasting time where she could be learning from the Kwamis! “Anyway, did you six mean to show up together, or was it all accidental?”

“Us five meant to appear together.” Alix said, gesturing towards the main five girls. “Kagami showed up a few minutes before we did, though.”

“It was completely coincidental.” Kagami responded with a small sigh. “I had a break in my schedule.” She pulled several papers out of her nearby book bag, and immediately began writing on them. “Alas, it was not to last.”

“Nerd.” Alix snorted, shaking her pink head.

“Well, Marinette, can we see those projects you mentioned earlier?” Alya asked eagerly, leaning forward.

“Oh, uh-“ _She didn’t have any projects. If they found out that she didn’t have them_… “Trust me, I’ve hardly started them. You don’t want to see them.”

“Yes, we do!” Alya insisted, bouncing forward.

“We love seeing your designs progress!” Rose agreed, nudging Kagami, who briefly glanced up.

“Yeah.” Kagami agreed with a shrug before returning to her papers.

“Com’n, M!” Alix prompted, blowing another bubble from her gum.

“No.” Marinette said, waving her hands desperately. “It’s nothing much to see, really!”

“Marinette.” Alya said, smirking as she leaned forward, nose inches away from Marinette’s. Marinette knew that look and braced herself to charge up to her room. “We want to see them, but you say we don’t want to. There’s only one way to settle this…”

“No.” Marinette repeated firmly, crossing her arms. “We’re not doing this again.”

“But it’s fun!” Alya pleaded, and the rest of the girls echoed her.

“This means you all are going to try and break in anyway, doesn’t it?” Marinette groaned, because she knew that is what would happen.

‘Room Raids’, a common past time among the girls, dished out whenever it seemed like one of the group was keeping a secret from the others. All five girls would fight against the other, all desperately trying to get to the location of the secret first.

While Marinette typically enjoyed them, they often were time-consuming, and she really didn’t want all of her secrets to be revealed.

“Yep!” Rose smiled sweetly, arising from her seat. “Com’n, Kagami! You’ll enjoy it!”

Kagami glanced up before resuming with her paper, shaking her head. “I am afraid that is too distracting. I’ll never get anything done if I allow myself to get carried away, and I’m not even sure what it is you are about to do.”

Marinette stood and walked towards the nearby staircase, hoping that acting like she wasn’t panicking would gain her a little bit of extra time. Unfortunately, she only made it halfway up the stairs to her room before Alya realized she was trying to escape and let loose a war cry. “Get her!”

Marinette’s pace quickened, and she threw open her trapdoor the moment she reached it, kicking off Juleka’s hand as the tall girl managed to snag her ankle. She climbed up into her room and was immediately greeted with the sight of her Kwamis panicking and buzzing out across the room or diving into different surface objects. They were not prepared for people suddenly barging in. She’d have to make sure they would be, just in case.

She slammed it shut, not even caring if anyone’s fingers or other appendages were in the way, only wanting to make sure none of them saw any of the Kwamis or any of the other things. She sat down firmly on the door, locking it in the only way she knew how. The girls below pushed on it with all of their strength, trying to unseat Marinette.

Unfortunately for the bluenette, after one quite hard shove, they managed to do so, sending her tumbling backward as the trap door succeeded in flying open.

“No!” Marinette yelled, tackling it down again and casting her full weight across it. Tears began to trek into her eyes, the girl hurt and angry.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Trixx sitting atop the sink, looking confused as he gazed sadly down at the trap door, no doubt wondering how his holder could be so cruel. He didn’t understand that this was a game, and that the girls didn’t know Marinette wasn’t enjoying it.

“Girls!” Kagami called from below, urgently. “I don’t think Marinette wants to play! I think you’re upsetting her.”

Almost immediately the thumping below stopped, the girls calming down as they realized that Kagami might be right.

“Marinette? Girl? Are you okay?” Alya yelled up after several seconds of dreary silence.

“No!” Marinette called back, angry as her heart beat against her chest. She hadn’t been prepared for the sudden force that had flung her backwards, bruising in spine. It still hurt and was burning into her back.

Silence once more.

“Oh, Marinette, we’re sorry…” Mylene whimpered, sounding horrified. “We thought…. We thought maybe…we thought you were enjoying it, like usual! We’re sorry that we… we didn’t mean to…. To…”

“It’s okay.” Marinette said, inhaling sharply. “I’m okay. It’s okay.”

“You sure, Marinette?” Rose whimpered, uncertain.

“I’m sorry for…” Juleka muttered, voice drifting off.

“I’m fine.” Marinette assured, pushing herself up onto her knees. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…have freaked out, I’m…I’m sorry.”

“No, Marinette, we’re the ones who are sorry.” Alix sighed, and Marinette could practically hear how painful it was for the pink-haired girl to say, to admit she was wrong. “We shouldn’t have…well, we didn’t know; we’re sorry.”

“It’s okay…” Marinette whimpered, not wanting to open up the trapdoor beneath her legs. She just wanted them to _leave._

“Girls, we should go.” Alya said, quietly. “Marinette we’re sorry; but we’re also here for you, okay?”

“Okay.” Marinette whispered, and Alya sighed below.

“We’ll….we’ll be leaving now. Bye, Marinette.”

Marinette nodded slowly. “Bye…”

The five pairs of footsteps left the living room, echoing away down the staircase on the outside of everything, the girls all leaving and feeling guilty.

“Marinette, I’ll be going, too.” Kagami called up. “Just call and let me know if you need anything at all, okay?”

“You got it, Kagami.” Marinette agreed, rubbing at her face desperately.

“…okay, Marinette. Stay safe.”

“You too…”

And with that, Kagami left as well, leaving Marinette to wonder how she long she’d survive pushing away her friends before she had none left. That thought hurt more then anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haitus time!

**Author's Note:**

> Please Read & Review!


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